The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Africa Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC), is in advanced discussions to establish Nigeria’s first National Export Trading Company.

This new entity will operate under ATDC and is designed to serve as a transformative force in the country’s trade landscape.

ATDC, established through a partnership between Afreximbank (via its Fund for Export Development in Africa – FEDA), Arise Integrated Industrial Platform (ARISE IIP), Equitane and the AfCFTA Secretariat, is a pan-African trading company with a mandate to enhance regional trade and boost the continent’s productive capacity.

Through this new initiative, ATDC will offer a comprehensive suite of services, market intelligence, logistics, finance, and aggregation to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), smallholder farmers, informal cross-border traders, and larger corporates in accessing international and AfCFTA markets.

The formal announcement, made during the 2025 West African Economic Summit Deal Room in Abuja on June 21, signals a bold new approach to empowering Nigerian MSMEs with the tools and infrastructure necessary for global competitiveness.

The National Export Trading Company will be delivered through ATDC Nigeria, a newly established platform that integrates NCX’s institutional strengths in commodity markets with ATDC’s trade execution and logistics capabilities.

This venture aims to close the longstanding gaps in Nigeria’s export ecosystem, particularly in areas such as warehousing, quality assurance, transportation, financing, and market access for smallholder producers and agro-industrial SMEs.

It also stands as a flagship initiative under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and demonstrates her commitment to market-driven reforms that translate Nigeria’s production potential into inclusive trade outcomes.

The ministry has advanced strategic reforms across investment facilitation, AfCFTA preparedness, and trade logistics reforms that are now converging within this transformative platform.

ATDC represents a broader strategy by Afreximbank to develop country-level platforms that promote intra-African trade, attract private capital, and improve both the soft and hard infrastructure that underpin successful exports.

While similar platforms are being established across the continent, Nigeria’s National Export Trading Company is expected to stand out for its scale, institutional strength, and alignment with key national priorities such as food security, industrialisation, and expanded trade.

According to Abdoul Aziz Ba, Chief Executive Officer of ATDC, the initiative is more than just the launch of another company.

The National Export Trading Company will focus on reducing post-harvest losses through modern storage and aggregation, structuring commodity exports with traceability and quality control, providing certified market access, facilitating innovative trade finance solutions for SMEs, and revitalising NCX as a central hub for structured commodity trade.

This initiative is an indication of Nigeria’s commitment to unlocking the potential of its domestic markets, strengthening its export infrastructure, and ensuring that trade serves as a vehicle for shared national prosperity.

The National Export Trading Company will not just be a policy but will be a dynamic, operational platform, marking a bold new chapter in Nigeria’s trade story.