​Digital Trade & Technology

​Focus of the Day

​Day 3 positions Nigeria as a digital trade and technology anchor for West Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area. The programme explores how scale, policy, infrastructure and capital must align to transform digital innovation into durable economic power. Discussions span digital infrastructure financing, AI governance, cross-border trade systems and inclusive growth, with emphasis on global competitiveness and long-term investment credibility.

​Panel Session

​Bridging the Funding Gap for International Trade: Digital Trade, Finance & Cross-Border Growth under AfCFTA

​The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade aims to harmonize the rules that will determine whether African firms can truly scale across borders as one integrated market, rather than operate within 54 fragmented national systems. Yet beyond policy alignment, the success of AfCFTA’s digital trade agenda will hinge on Africa’s ability to bridge the funding gap that constrains cross-border commerce, particularly for SMEs, service exporters, and digitally enabled enterprises.
While innovations such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) are transforming how value moves across the continent—enabling faster, more efficient cross-border payments in local currencies—payments alone are not sufficient. Digital trade requires a fully financed ecosystem: affordable trade finance, working capital, export credit, and risk mitigation instruments working in tandem with efficient transport and logistics networks, interoperable data and digital identity systems, scalable digital platforms, and robust ICT and digital trade skills.
Nigeria is actively developing a national strategy to align domestic policy with AfCFTA’s digital trade implementation, positioning interoperable payments, trade finance, trusted platforms, skills portability, and regulatory coherence as critical enablers of cross-border growth. Closing the financing gap—particularly for women-led businesses, SMEs, and creative and technology-driven exporters—will be decisive in translating digital trade policy into real market access and scalable trade flows.
This session will explore how Africa can integrate digital infrastructure, trade finance mechanisms, and policy coordination into a cohesive digital trade infrastructure stack—unlocking services exports, lowering the cost of cross-border transactions, expanding access to finance, and positioning African economies to compete effectively in the global digital marketplace.