Oyo State Government, on Monday, February 16, 2026, shared its African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation Strategy blueprint with Botswana, an AfCFTA member-state, during a meeting with the country’s Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Hon Tiroeaone Mojatale Ntsima, in Gaborone, the capital city.
Speaking shortly after the meeting, Special Adviser on International Trade and AfCFTA to Oyo State Governor, Ms. Neo Theodore Tlhaselo, who represented the state government, said the meeting sought to cultivate trade relations between Oyo State and Botswana.
Tlhaselo, who said that economic diplomacy is an integral part of the state’s AfCFTA implementation strategy, noted that it is quite important towards opening the state to businesses and for negotiations between member states on trade facilitation, among others.
She added that the Oyo State AfCFTA Implementation Strategy was discussed with the Minister, who commended Governor Seyi Makinde for heading the first sub-national to key into the AfCFTA initiative.
Tlhaselo added that Minister Ntsima acknowledged Nigeria’s large market and its input and influence in the global economy, stating that trade relations between Botswana and Oyo State should accelerate to the point where they facilitate market access for both entities.
The Minister noted that while Botswana has a small population, it is strategically located to be a point of entry and production for Oyo State’s businesses and traders, who seek access to the 16-member South African Development Community (SADC).
He added that Botswana businesses and traders would also be able to tap into Oyo State’s market and make it a point of entry and place of production, from where they can target the Nigerian and ECOWAS markets.
Ms. Tlhaselo equally noted that the Permanent Secretary of the Botswana Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Joel Ramaphoi, also alluded to the fact that Oyo State Government’s move to facilitate market access is key to the realisation of tangible results, adding that Oyo State, with its ease of doing business ranking, is a state worth collaborating with.
