Preparing Nigeria for digital trade within the WTO E-commerce negotiations: Issues and policy directions

Abstract

Nigeria believes that e-commerce is an economic reality that is unlocking the potentials of economies by triggering growth and creating wealth and jobs. However, Nigeria is mindful of the supply side constraint. If e-commerce is to deliver shared benefits to the WTO membership at large proper attention must be paid to the digital divide. The necessary infrastructure and accompanying access must be assured for communities in developing countries that will otherwise be even more marginalized as the rest of the world benefits from e-commerce. This paper attempt to situate Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem and her level of readiness to embraces the evolution of digital technology in international trade. In addition, how Nigeria devises an effective digital-led strategy towards the global growth and development of SMEs.