NACC welcomes the AGOA extension to 2028, urging Nigeria to diversify exports, remove trade barriers and seize new US market opportunities
The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), led by National President Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, has welcomed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) extension signed into law by United States President Donald J. Trump, urging Nigeria to use the additional trading window to expand non-oil exports and strengthen commercial ties with the United States.
The chamber made its position known in Lagos on September 10, 2026, following President Trump’s signing of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, which extends AGOA trade preferences through December 31, 2028.
The legislation preserves duty-free treatment for eligible exports from sub-Saharan African countries, giving businesses additional certainty as they plan production, investment and access to the US market. The measure was passed by the US Senate and House before being signed into law by Trump on September 2.
For Nigeria, the extension offers a fresh opportunity to address a long-standing weakness in its use of the scheme. While Nigeria remains an important AGOA beneficiary, its exports to the US have historically been heavily concentrated in petroleum and other energy products.
The US Trade Representative says Nigeria was eligible for AGOA benefits in 2026, including textile and apparel benefits. US goods and services trade with Nigeria totalled an estimated $14.7 billion in 2025, while US goods imports from Nigeria stood at about $5 billion.
The Congressional Research Service reported that US imports receiving AGOA duty-free treatment totalled $5.04 billion in 2025.
Nigeria ranked third among beneficiary countries by import value, with about $409.9 million, behind South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The figures underline both Nigeria’s importance to the programme and the scale of the opportunity still available to Nigerian businesses.
Balogun said the extension should not be treated simply as a reprieve but as a chance to build a stronger export economy.
“This extension gives Nigeria the certainty needed to invest and expand our exports. But we must use these twenty-eight months to move beyond oil,” Balogun said.
He urged Nigerian producers to look more seriously towards agricultural products, textiles, processed foods and manufactured goods capable of competing in the American market.
Nigeria’s dependence on energy exports has remained a persistent feature of its trade relationship with the United States.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has previously said more than 90 per cent of Nigeria’s exports to the US consisted of crude petroleum, mineral fuels, oils and gas products.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has identified products including cocoa, cashew, ginger, sesame, leather and beans among the Nigerian goods with export potential under AGOA.
The NACC therefore called for stronger coordination between the Federal Government, state governments and the private sector to make practical use of the extended period.
The chamber highlighted ports, standards compliance and logistics as areas requiring urgent attention, noting that delays and additional costs can make otherwise competitive Nigerian products less attractive to American buyers.
The call comes against the backdrop of wider changes in US trade policy that have increased uncertainty for African exporters.
Nigeria’s exports to the United States declined in 2025, while American exports to Nigeria increased substantially, according to US and Nigerian trade data.
The NACC also urged Nigeria to maintain constructive engagement with Washington on trade concerns, including forced-labour compliance and other requirements that could affect continued eligibility and market access.
Beyond the bilateral relationship, the chamber said African countries should work through the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area framework to present a stronger continental position as discussions continue over the future of US-Africa trade relations.
AGOA was enacted in 2000 to strengthen commercial ties between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa by providing eligible countries with preferential access to the American market. Nigeria became eligible in 2000 and has remained one of the programme’s significant beneficiaries.
However, evidence from previous years has shown that Nigeria has struggled to translate preferential access into broad-based export diversification.
The US Commerce Department has described Nigeria as the largest historical user of AGOA while noting that 98 per cent of its exports under the programme were petroleum products.
The NACC’s latest position reflects that long-running concern, with the chamber calling for greater investment in productive sectors rather than continued dependence on crude oil.
Balogun said the remaining period should be approached with urgency.
“The next two years are a sprint, not a pause,” he said, adding that NACC would work to connect Nigerian producers with American buyers and promote the case for a lasting successor to AGOA.
The chamber also advocated stronger US-Nigeria commercial partnerships through joint ventures, technology transfer and investment in productive industries.
Such partnerships, it said, could help Nigerian businesses improve production standards, access technology and develop the scale required to compete in international markets.
The wider economic stakes are significant. Greater non-oil exports could strengthen foreign exchange earnings, support industrialisation and create jobs, while increased participation in global value chains could give Nigerian producers a more sustainable foothold in the US market.
The extension also gives Nigeria time to prepare for negotiations over what could eventually replace or succeed AGOA. The Congressional Research Service noted that the programme’s unilateral preferences have supported trade but that its impact on diversification and regional integration has been limited.
For the NACC, the immediate priority is therefore to turn the policy extension into measurable commercial activity.
The chamber said it would continue providing advocacy, trade facilitation, market intelligence and networking support to businesses seeking opportunities in both markets.
Founded in 1960, the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce promotes trade and investment between Nigeria and the United States through its Lagos headquarters and chapters in Nigeria and the United States.
With AGOA now extended through December 2028, the challenge for Nigeria is no longer simply securing preferential access. It is using that access effectively enough to build a more diversified and competitive export economy.
