AfCTA and The Nigerian Creative Industries — Potential Impacts and Opportunities

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (the AfCFTA) recently came into force after the 22nd African country submitted its law from…

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (the AfCFTA) recently came into force after the 22nd African country submitted its law from its National Parliament ratifying it.

The AfCFTA is an agreement between all 55 countries in the African Union (the AU) to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments.

President Buhari signed the AfCFTA, on behalf of Nigeria, only last month after years of negotiations aiming to minimize the likelihood of potential adverse effects of the agreement on the domestic economy. The National Assembly must now pass a law ratifying it which must then be submitted to the AU before the AfCFTA comes into force in Nigeria.

I was asked my opinion on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (the AfCFTA) and in particular how it may affect cultural and creative industries (CCI) in Nigeria. This question had already been at the back of my mind to the extent of wondering if/how the agreement would …