Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has said that the state has been positioned as a global player in exporting business and a strategic connecting hub for other states seeking access to international markets.
Makinde stated this on Friday in Ibadan at the “Training of Trainers Workshop” organised for stakeholders involved in the implementation of the AfCFTA strategy in the state.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, noted that this was made possible following the implementation of the AfCFTA strategy in 2025.
“Oyo State chose to be the first sub-national government in Africa to sign and domesticate the AfCFTA strategy because the state government decided to be deliberate and forward-looking in unlocking the massive opportunities in trades, export business and industrialisation,”.
He explained that the state keyed into the initiative because of its vast potential to expand market access, remove tariff barriers, and create new opportunities for state products across African countries.
He added that the AfCFTA framework would significantly enhance Oyo State’s agricultural business, particularly in terms of export volumes and rising demand for agricultural produce.
He said the initiative would also provide a platform to promote Oyo State’s service sector, including education, healthcare, tourism, and other service-based industries within the state.
He described the initiative as an integrated opportunity that brings together both state and non-state actors.
He stressed that effective implementation depended largely on capacity-building, which according to him, informed the decision to organise the Training of Trainers’ workshop.
He explained that participants at the workshop would be exposed to the opportunities available in the AfCFTA implementation strategy, the integrated value chain, regulatory mechanisms, and the critical roles regulators must play to ensure compliance and success.
“The trainees are expected to return to their respective associations and disseminate the knowledge gained, thereby ensuring a broad-based understanding and effective grassroots implementation of the AfCFTA strategy across the state.
“For the state actors and the non-state actors to be able to implement these strategies, we need to enhance their capacity.
” That’s actually why we are building their capacity at this particular Train the Trainers workshop.
“Different professional associations and different government agencies will be involved in carrying out these implementation strategies.
“So, we need to enhance their capacities and make them realize what they need to do,” the governor stated.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Special Adviser on International Trade and African Continental Free Trade Area, Ms Neo Tlhaselo, congratulated the AfCFTA Secretariat and Oyo state government.
TIhaselo also congratulated partners and participants at the workshop on their dedication and commitment to the implementation of the AfCFTA in Oyo state.
She noted that no government could implement the strategy without substantial investment in the AfCFTA by non-state actors.
She charged the partners to invest in the implementation of AfCFTA without depending on the government.
“So, this Train the Trainers Workshop will equip us to articulate that which we intend to achieve, and to also align whatever strategies and plans that you have within your organisations to what we intend to achieve as a state.
“This workshop is mandatory. It is what is expected of us by the AfCFTA Secretariat. So, we are ensuring that we are compliant to every exercise that is expected of us,” she said.
