Nigeria’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has urged the creation of a comprehensive trade and investment framework between Africa and Asia to accelerate growth across both continents.
Speaking at a regional economic forum, Tajudeen stressed that Africa and Asia share significant historical, cultural, and economic ties that remain underutilised. With Asia driving much of the world’s manufacturing and technology innovation, and Africa emerging as a hub for raw materials, energy, and a young workforce, he argued that structured cooperation could reshape global commerce.
He highlighted the need for joint agreements on infrastructure development, tariff reduction, digital trade, and cross-border investments that would allow both regions to capture larger shares of global value chains. “Africa cannot afford to remain a supplier of raw materials,” Tajudeen said, emphasising the importance of industrialisation and knowledge transfer.
Analysts note that Asia already accounts for over 40% of Africa’s imports, led by China and India. However, a lack of unified frameworks has left African countries negotiating bilateral deals that often lack scale. A pan-continental approach, Tajudeen suggested, would give Africa greater leverage and balance in its relations with Asia.
If pursued, such a partnership could deepen South-South cooperation, creating pathways for new trade routes, joint industrial parks, and fintech-powered investment flows—positioning Africa and Asia as co-drivers of global growth in the coming decades.