The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange and the Africa Trade and Distribution Company is establishing the country’s first National Export Trading Company To enhance Nigeria’s trade infrastructure and unlock its export potential.
Discussions are reportedly at an advanced stage for the proposed National Export Trading Company, which is expected to operate as an arm of the Africa Trade and Distribution Company.
ATDC was established by Afreximbank through the Fund for Export Development in Africa, in partnership with Arise Integrated Industrial Platform, Equitane, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement Secretariat.
ATDC was established as a continental trading company with a mandate to streamline regional trade and enhance Africa’s productive capacity.
The company is designed to offer market intelligence, logistics, financing, and aggregation services to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, smallholder farmers, informal cross-border traders, and larger corporations in accessing international markets under the AfCFTA and beyond.
Announced in the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inaugural West African Economic Summit Deal Room in Abuja over the weekend, the NETC initiative marks a significant step toward empowering Nigerian MSMEs to compete more effectively in regional and global trade by providing access to modern infrastructure, working capital solutions, and structured market linkages.
The NETC will be established and managed by ATDC Nigeria, a newly formed joint platform that integrates the NCX’s expertise in commodity markets with ATDC’s strengths in trade execution and logistics.
This initiative is designed to bridge critical gaps in Nigeria’s export value chain—particularly in areas such as warehousing, quality assurance, transportation, market access, and financing for smallholder farmers and agro-industrial SMEs.
The NETC initiative is a flagship achievement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, reflecting her commitment to bold, market-aligned reforms that bridge Nigeria’s production potential with real, inclusive trade outcomes.
Commenting on the emerging NETC, Oduwole stated, “This is about changing the everyday reality for Nigerian producers – from losses to livelihoods, from being left behind to being export-ready.
“We are creating a system that works for people, for markets, and for the future.”
ATDC represents Afreximbank’s broader continental strategy to establish country-level platforms that facilitate intra-African trade, attract private investment, and strengthen both the soft and hard infrastructure supporting exports.
While similar platforms are being rolled out across Africa, Nigeria’s Trading Company is set to distinguish itself through its scale, institutional depth, and strong alignment with the country’s food security, industrialisation, and trade objectives.
