President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 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.
Mrs. Okala, a seasoned trade and investment expert, brings extensive experience in international negotiations and economic policy to the role. 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 major global platforms, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, AfCFTA, UNCTAD, IISD, and the OECD.
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She also previously served as Expert Advisor to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra between 2023 and 2025. In addition, as Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, she played a critical role in strengthening Nigeria’s AfCFTA institutional framework. Her contributions included 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 capacity, Mrs. Okala will oversee the domestic implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, coordinate national stakeholder engagement, and drive Nigeria’s strategic positioning within the continental trade framework.
The appointment builds on the legacy of the late Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, former head of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, and underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening intra-African trade, expanding non-oil exports, and advancing economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
