The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) participated in the Maiden Business Forum and Formal Launch of the Nigeria-Kenya Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NIKCCIMA), held on 8 October 2026 at the Chelsea Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja.
The event, organised in collaboration with the Kenyan High Commission in Abuja, marked an important step towards strengthening commercial relations, investment linkages and private-sector cooperation between Nigeria and Kenya.
The National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, mni, OON, who also serves as Chairman of the Organised Private Sector and President of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI), was represented at the event by Dr. Emmanuel Akeh, Director, NACCIMA Abuja Office.
The Business Forum brought together government officials, business leaders, industry regulators, trade institutions and other key stakeholders from Nigeria and Kenya to explore opportunities for building a more effective trade and investment corridor between both countries.
The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to examine practical approaches to expanding bilateral commerce and creating an enabling environment in which enterprises from both countries can establish partnerships, access new markets and pursue investment opportunities.
Goodwill messages were delivered during the event, while His Excellency, Mr. Isaac Keen Parashina, Kenyan Ambassador to Nigeria, delivered the keynote address and formally launched NIKCCIMA.
The establishment of NIKCCIMA is intended to help translate bilateral trade agreements and continental initiatives into practical opportunities for businesses.
Among its objectives, the Chamber seeks to assist businesses in navigating trade documentation and payment challenges, address clearance delays and other bottlenecks affecting cross-border commerce, and support businesses in taking advantage of opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This focus is particularly important as businesses increasingly require practical institutional support to move from broad trade-policy commitments to actual transactions, partnerships and market expansion.
To achieve its objectives, NIKCCIMA will focus on four key pathways:
The launch comes at a time when African businesses are seeking to maximise the opportunities available under AfCFTA and strengthen intra-African trade.
By creating a dedicated institutional platform linking Nigerian and Kenyan enterprises, NIKCCIMA is positioned to facilitate closer interaction among businesses, regulators, investors and governments while helping enterprises identify and resolve practical barriers to trade.
The Chamber’s approach also reflects the growing importance of business-to-business matchmaking, improved trade logistics, efficient payment mechanisms and coordinated action on non-tariff barriers in expanding trade within Africa.
NACCIMA expressed its commitment to working closely with NIKCCIMA, Kenyan businesses and the governments of Nigeria and Kenya towards achieving the objectives of the new Chamber.
The Association sees the initiative as an opportunity to deepen private-sector cooperation, facilitate trade and investment flows and create stronger commercial linkages between businesses in Nigeria and Kenya.
Through such partnerships, NACCIMA will continue to support initiatives that improve market access, intra-African trade, investment facilitation and private-sector-led economic integration, while ensuring that the opportunities created by AfCFTA translate into tangible outcomes for Nigerian businesses.
