Nigeria, April 5 -- In 2018, more than 40 member states of the African Union signed the Africa Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) agreement after its adoption in Kigali, Rwanda.

The AfCFTA agreement aims to create a single continental market for goods and services in Africa, reduce trade barriers and boost intra-Africa trade. If fully implemented, it is projected to propel regional expansion worth $3.4 trillion. It is also projected to boost foreign direct investments and increase exports to the rest of the world by 32 per cent.

However, the national implementation of the agreement has been slow. Signatories like Nigeria, one of Africa's leading economies, still contend with problems such as protectionism and insecurity, which delays i...