The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has strongly criticised the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation Secretariat for allegedly excluding Nigerian transport, maritime, and trade stakeholders from crucial discussions and project execution under the regional trade pact.
In a bulletin signed by SEREC’s Head of Research, Dr. Eugene Nweke, the think tank expressed concern over what it described as Nigeria’s “systematic marginalisation” in AfCFTA’s key implementation activities. SEREC decried the poor dissemination of information to relevant national stakeholders and warned that such neglect could jeopardise Nigeria’s competitive positioning within the African market.
The criticisms emerged after the African Union’s Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy concluded a high-level ministerial meeting, where major resolutions were passed on AfCFTA’s infrastructure needs. SEREC lamented that Nigerian maritime, logistics, and trade professionals were neither invited nor adequately informed about the far-reaching implications of those resolutions.
According to SEREC, the AU committee admitted that infrastructure development in Africa is failing to keep pace with the growing demand posed by AfCFTA. This shortfall continues to drive up logistics costs and hinder intra-African trade.
To address these deficits, African ministers agreed on an ambitious target to develop between 60,000 and 100,000 kilometers of new roads by 2030. This would facilitate seamless intercontinental connectivity and support the flow of goods and services under the free trade pact.
SEREC highlighted the implementation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa – Priority Action Plan 2 (PIDA-PAP2), which comprises 69 strategic projects valued at over $160 billion. However, the centre warned that Nigeria’s apparent lack of integration into PIDA-PAP2 could lead to missed economic opportunities.
Citing past failures, SEREC noted that 50 per cent of PIDA-PAP1 projects never advanced to construction, and 30 per cent stalled at the feasibility phase. It called for transparency on Nigeria’s role in both phases and demanded clarity from the Federal Government on frameworks supporting private-sector participation.
SEREC has urged the Federal Government to establish a national correspondence desk to coordinate Nigeria’s AfCFTA participation and initiate enabling policy frameworks to attract both foreign and domestic investment into transport and logistics infrastructure.
Dr. Nweke emphasized that “Nigeria cannot afford to remain uninformed or on the sidelines of continental integration.” He added that the country must champion harmonisation of AU charters such as the Road Safety Charter, Maritime Transport Charter, and Luxembourg Protocol on Railway Rolling Stock to strengthen its legal and operational frameworks.
The centre also recommended the rapid development of “freight places,” packaging hubs, and labeling centers across border corridors to stimulate exports and facilitate compliance with continental trade standards. These projects, it said, should be pursued through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
SEREC identified a combination of systemic issues—ranging from weak regulatory frameworks and institutional limitations to poor technical capacity—as the primary barriers to Nigeria’s effective participation in AfCFTA.
It called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to speed up the ratification and domestication of AU transport and trade protocols and to build capacity among relevant institutions such as the Nigerian Shippers Council, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Dr. Nweke concluded:
“We cannot afford to operate in ignorance or isolation. If Nigeria is to lead in Africa’s economic transformation, it must ensure that its public and private sectors are informed, engaged, and empowered to participate actively in AfCFTA implementation.”
As AfCFTA’s ambitious infrastructure and trade agenda progresses, SEREC’s intervention reflects broader concerns within Nigeria’s maritime and transport community over missed opportunities and exclusion from decision-making processes. Analysts agree that with Nigeria’s large market size and strategic location, its full participation is critical to the success of Africa’s single market dream.