In a move seen as a boost to Nigeria’s continental trade ambitions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mrs Patience Okala as the National Coordinator of Nigeria’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office, with immediate effect.
Mrs Okala steps into the role with a strong pedigree in trade, investment, and international economic diplomacy. Until her appointment, she served as Director at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), where she spearheaded Nigeria’s participation in high-level bilateral investment treaty negotiations and represented the country across key global platforms, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, AfCFTA, UNCTAD, IISD, and the OECD.
Her experience spans both domestic and continental assignments. Between 2023 and 2025, she was an Expert Advisor to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, contributing to policy coordination and implementation strategies aimed at deepening intra-African trade. She also served as Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, where she played a central role in reinforcing Nigeria’s AfCFTA institutional architecture. Notably, she helped drive the work of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee and supported Nigeria’s emergence as Co-Champion of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade.
As National Coordinator, Okala is expected to lead the domestic rollout of AfCFTA commitments, align public and private sector stakeholders, and sharpen Nigeria’s competitive edge within Africa’s single market.
Her appointment builds on the legacy of the late Olusegun Awolowo and signals the administration’s renewed push to expand non-oil exports, unlock intra-African trade opportunities, and accelerate economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda.