Nigeria and Botswana launched a high-level trade mission to Gaborone to expand market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Led by trade officials and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, the initiative targets the Southern African Development Community market while addressing non-tariff barriers and boosting bilateral commerce.
Delegation and Trade Goals in Gaborone
Nigeria and Botswana have taken steps to deepen bilateral trade and expand market access for Nigerian products in Southern Africa. The high-level delegation to Gaborone was led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and included officials and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, participated in the trade mission. She described Botswana as an important gateway for Nigeria’s efforts to expand its export footprint across Southern Africa.
During the mission, authorities from both nations discussed trade facilitation, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and practical measures to reduce cross-border barriers. Engagements focused on creating a conducive environment for private-sector participation and strengthening business-to-business relationships.
Bilateral Trade Volumes and Expansion Potential
Bilateral trade between the two countries remains small, but officials argue the figures represent untapped potential rather than a limitation. According to figures presented during the engagement by Calvin Ketshabetswe, Manager for Export Promotion and Development at the Botswana Investment and Trade Center (BITC), Botswana’s exports to Nigeria declined from about $1.4 million in 2023 to approximately $147,000 in 2024.
Key products traded include medicaments, wooden office furniture, hair and beauty products, woven fabrics, human hair and wigs, and perfumes. Botswana’s imports from Nigeria also fell, dropping from $376,000 in 2023 to $161,000 last year.
Despite these modest totals, the Botswana-Nigeria Business and Investment Forum highlighted opportunities across manufacturing, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, and logistics. Ketshabetswe noted that Nigerian businesses could use Botswana as a production and distribution hub for the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC) market.
Incentives and Regional Market Access Under AfCFTA
Both countries have gazetted their provisional schedules of tariff concessions. This enables qualifying products to trade under AfCFTA’s preferential rules once they satisfy the agreement’s Rules of Origin requirements. However, BITC stressed that the free trade agreement must address non-tariff barriers, trade facilitation, and digital trade to help businesses establish regional value chains.
To attract regional manufacturers and investors, BITC highlighted a range of fiscal and regulatory incentives. These include a preferential 15 per cent corporate tax rate for manufacturers, International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) entities, and innovation hub companies, compared to the standard 22 per cent rate. Investors can also access a 10-year tax holiday and tax rebates of up to 200 per cent.
Additional provisions include customs and VAT rebates on imported machinery and raw materials, alongside Special Economic Zones offering corporate tax rates as low as five per cent, transfer duty exemptions, and long-term land leases. Priority areas presented to Nigerian investors include energy security and renewable transition, logistics infrastructure, digital transformation, healthcare, mining, and agriculture.
Exporter Engagement and Practical Outcomes
The mission featured direct interaction between Nigerian exporters and their Botswana counterparts. Made-in-Nigeria products were displayed, sampled, and tested during the forums.
According to Ayeni, these business engagements produced encouraging results. Several Nigerian companies received requests for product samples, while others opened discussions on distribution arrangements. Some participating businesses secured actual orders, signaling growing commercial interest among buyers in Botswana.
The inclusion of regulatory agencies aimed to resolve logistical hurdles for cross-border commerce. Le Look Nigeria Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chinwe Ezanwa shared her entrepreneurial experience trading under AfCFTA, expressing readiness to explore investment opportunities and partnerships in Botswana.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Botswana, John Shama Shaga, expressed hope that this trade mission model be replicated across other African countries as a blueprint for strengthening intra-African trade and investment. Meanwhile, National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office Patience Okala emphasized the need for a renewed focus on equipping businesses to navigate continental trade effectively.
