Nigeria has been selected to host the fifth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in 2027, following a competitive bid and due diligence process. The announcement was made by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council, during the official opening of IATF2025 in Algiers, Algeria.
Presenting the IATF host’s flag to Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Aduwole, Obasanjo said, “IATF is not just a trade fair, it is a journey across our continent and global Africa, carried forward by nations that share in the vision of Intra-African trade and regional integration. Since its inception, IATF has rotated across our continent, leaving its unique legacy and improving with each host nation. Today, we continue this proud tradition by announcing Nigeria as the country that will host IATF2027.”
The biennial fair, co-convened by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat, serves as the continent’s premier platform for businesses to showcase goods and services, network with buyers, and explore opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area’s single market of 1.4 billion people and GDP exceeding US$3.5 trillion.
Nigeria will be the fourth country to host the trade showcase. Egypt hosted the maiden edition in 2018, followed by South Africa in 2021, a return to Cairo in 2023, and now Algeria in 2025. The last three fairs have generated more than US$118 billion in trade and investment deals, drawing over 70,000 visitors and 4,500 exhibitors.
Reflecting on IATF’s growth, Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank, said, “The journey we began in 2017, when we started planning for the inaugural Trade Fair, which was held in November 2018, was a strategic move drawn from Afreximbank’s Intra-African Trade Strategy, launched in 2016. The herculean task of converting vision to reality, mobilising African states, thousands of exhibitors, buyers, and sponsors, among others for an event of such a magnitude was only made possible by the strong support Afreximbank received from many.”
The IATF2025 opening ceremony was presided over by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and attended by African and Caribbean heads of state, business leaders, and industry executives.
