The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (https://FMITI.gov.ng/) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (www.UNDP.org) convenes the HerAfCFTA Regional Conference on Monday, 29 June 2026, alongside the 2026 African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) (https://au-AfCFTA.org/) Council of Ministers Meeting, bringing together African leaders, Ministers of Trade, policymakers, women entrepreneurs, private sector leaders, financial institutions, development partners, and regional organizations to advance women’s economic leadership and unlock the full potential of Africa’s single market.
Held as Africa marks five years since the launch of AfCFTA, the Conference comes at a critical moment in the continent’s economic integration journey. With a market of more than 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding US$3 trillion, AfCFTA presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deepen intra-African trade, strengthen regional value chains, accelerate industrialization, and drive inclusive economic growth.
The next phase of implementation requires moving beyond policy commitments towards practical solutions that strengthen productive capacity, expand market access, mobilize investment, and enable African enterprises—particularly women-led businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—to compete and grow across regional markets.
Hosted by the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, together with the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and in collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Conference will serve as a high-level platform to strengthen partnerships, showcase practical solutions, and identify actions that accelerate women’s participation in intra-African trade and regional value chains.
Nigeria’s leadership in this conversation is particularly significant. As Africa’s largest economy and one of the continent’s leading centres for entrepreneurship, innovation, and enterprise, Nigeria is well positioned to demonstrate how trade, investment, and innovation can work together to drive industrialization, create jobs, and advance sustainable development across the continent.
The Conference will feature Ministers of Trade from Ghana, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside senior government officials, women entrepreneurs, development finance institutions, private sector leaders, investors, and regional organizations.
Senior Nigerian government representatives expected to participate include:
- Honourable Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Federal Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development;
- Honourable Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs; and
- Honourable Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, Federal Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.
Discussions will focus on strengthening women’s participation in regional value chains, expanding access to finance and markets, enhancing export competitiveness, and fostering strategic partnerships that enable women-owned enterprises to scale across Africa.
The Conference builds on HerAfCFTA, UNDP’s flagship continental initiative launched in 2023 to advance women’s economic empowerment through trade, investment, and enterprise development. In Nigeria, the initiative supports women-led businesses by strengthening export readiness, facilitating market access, connecting entrepreneurs to finance and investment opportunities, and creating an enabling ecosystem for inclusive trade.
The HerAfCFTA Regional Conference reflects UNDP’s broader commitment to connecting markets, innovation, investment, and partnerships to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation. By bringing together governments, businesses, investors, and development partners, the Conference seeks to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA translate into tangible outcomes—stronger enterprises, quality jobs, resilient value chains, and inclusive prosperity for women and communities across the continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu
Regional Communications and External Engagement Specialist
UNDP Africa
Email: Ugochukwu.kingsley@undp.org
Christabel Chanda-Ginsberg
Public Engagement, Outreach and Partnerships Unit
UNDP Nigeria
Email: christabel.chanda-ginsberg@undp.org
About UNDP AFRICA:
UNDP Africa supports 46 countries in accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, expediting structural economic transformation for sustainable development, building resilience to shocks and promoting sound governance, peace, and security throughout the continent. Guided by the principle that Africa is not homogeneous, UNDP’s Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa is a premier ENABLER and INTEGRATOR for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (https://apo-opa.co/4weqVdM) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 (https://apo-opa.co/4g9fqjj). For more information, visit: https://www.UNDP.org/africa
In Nigeria, UNDP has been supporting the Government and people of Nigeria in addressing development challenges through strengthening and building institutions that promote inclusive, sustainable development and democratic governance. UNDP collaborates with multisectoral stakeholders to support Nigeria in meeting its Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promise. For more information, visit: https://apo-opa.co/44GnmBm
About HerAfCFTA:
HerAfCFTA is an initiative stemming from UNDP’s renewed strategic focus on Africa, leveraging inter-African trade as a key mechanism for poverty reduction, job creation, and increasing foreign exchange. Launched by the UNDP Regional Director for Africa at the inaugural AfCFTA Business Forum in 2023, HerAfCFTA underscores the importance of collective effort and calls on all development actors to invest consistently, in supercharging export readiness. For women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, this framework presents several opportunities that could potentially transform their business prospects.
