The Colombian Honorary Consul to Nigeria, Maricel Romero, has urged young Nigerian entrepreneurs engaged in foreign trade to leverage the opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

Mrs Romero made this known on Saturday in Abuja during a “Trade Commissioners Summit 2.0,” which aimed to advance trade and investment across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

The event was organised by GlobalAfri Diplomat, a Nigerian strategic diplomacy and publishing organisation, which connects foreign embassies, trade commissions, and multilateral institutions.

“Young Nigerians seeking to invest or trade internationally should identify products and commodities that are unique to their communities and add digital value to them.

“They should identify what differentiates their community, those crops, those products, those items that they can add digital value to.

“The entrepreneurs seeking to succeed in foreign trade and investment should also leverage the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA),” she said.

According to her, they must digitalise their products and enable cross-border payments to find new customers.

The Colombian envoy described the summit as a bold, timely and significant platform for bridging Nigeria’s trade potential with the international community.

“It has been a very impressive morning, an exchange of information within the region and beyond its borders,” she said.

She also commended the organisers of the programme, GlobalAfri Diplomat and Ajomale-McWord, for the great initiative.

The summit, which drew participants from across Africa and beyond, also marked the launch of “The Goal for Trade,” a new initiative aimed at deepening cross-border commerce and investment on the continent.

A cross-section of industry leaders, policymakers and foreign envoys who graced the occasion sought to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s power, mining, logistics and agricultural sectors.

The dignitaries included the Chief Executive Officer of GIG Mobility, Dr Enahoro Okhae, and the Head of Public Segment, MTN Nigeria, Akinbulejo Onabolu, among others.

(NAN)