President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Mrs Patience Okala as the National Coordinator of Nigeria’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office, with immediate effect.
Announcing the appointment on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the decision reflects the administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s position within the continental trade framework.
“This appointment underscores President Tinubu’s resolve to deepen intra-African trade, expand non-oil exports, and accelerate economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Onanuga stated.
Mrs Okala, a seasoned trade and investment expert, brings extensive experience in international negotiations and economic policy. Prior to her appointment, she served as Director at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), where she led Nigeria’s engagements on bilateral investment treaties and participated in negotiations across platforms including ICSID, UNCITRAL, AfCFTA, UNCTAD, IISD, and the OECD.
She also served as Expert Advisor to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra from 2023 to 2025. In addition, as Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, she played a key role in strengthening Nigeria’s AfCFTA institutional framework, including oversight of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee and supporting Nigeria’s emergence as Co-Champion of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade.
In her new role, Mrs Okala is expected to oversee the domestic implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, coordinate national stakeholder engagement, and drive Nigeria’s strategic positioning within the continental trade system.
The appointment also builds on the legacy of the late Mr Olusegun Awolowo, former head of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, and reaffirms the Federal Government’s push to strengthen regional economic integration and trade competitiveness.
