By Jane Okeke
Nigeria led the push as stakeholders across African countries launched ACFTA FEST 2026 in Abuja on Thursday, a strategic campaign to secure over $5 billion through trade deals and partnerships.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA FEST) is an annual festival, with Nigeria set to host its maiden edition in Abuja from March 26-28. It aims to create a transparent and legitimate investment environment that encourages global finance to invest capital into African ventures. It seeks to integrate 1,500,000 Nigerian youths into the global economy via entrepreneurship, arts, and sports while decentralising trade awareness to the grassroots level.
Project Lead for ACFTA Fest, Dr Diom Ambe emphasised that the initiative also aims to strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), hinging on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach that ensures sustainable and bankable solutions to satisfy international financial institutions.
He noted that through this holistic involvement of all stakeholders, the organisers intend to translate policy into visible life improvements for the African populace, establishing a baseline for long-term regional integration.
The strategy, he said, employs a bottom-up approach where grassroots beneficiaries dictate project flow to ensure maximum social impact.
“The primary sector that we are looking at is targeting access to finance, promoting agricultural value chain development by incorporating sustainable renewable energy solutions so that we completely have this robust ecosystem with regards to economic growth,” said Ambe.
Delivering a goodwill message, Vice President Legal of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Ms Aisha Ado Abdullahi affirmed the chamber’s commitment to support the initiative.
She noted that the goals of the ACFTA FEST align with the ACCI mandate to scale businesses across borders and strengthen Nigeria’s role as a primary trade hub, highlighting the necessity of moving conversations from policy framework to tangible action.
“This initiative resonates strongly with ACCI’s mandate as the leading voice of the private sector in the Federal Capital Territory in particular and Nigeria in general, to promote enterprise development, facilitate trade and investment, and create opportunities for businesses, especially MSMEs, to scale locally and across borders,” she said.
Football legend Kanu Nwankwo, confirmed his leadership of the Nigerian team for the African Legend United gala match, a centrepiece of the festival’s sports component, expressing confidence in the event’s ability to showcase African excellence.
Kanu emphasised that the involvement of iconic athletes is a deliberate move to inspire the younger generation and instil a sense of pride in their African identity.
He said the gala match will feature renowned figures like himself and Jay-Jay Okocha, among others who are currently in training for the event.
