Nigeria has a grand plan for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), but turning that plan into reality has been a struggle.

In a new article published Wednesday, analyst Ehi Braimah laid out the gap between Nigeria's ambition and its actual progress. He pointed to the third edition of Biashara Afrika, the continental business forum held in Togo, as a reminder of how far the country still has to go.

Biashara Afrika brings together African heads of state, ministers, policymakers, SMEs, investors, and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to speed up AfCFTA implementation and boost intra-African trade. Nigeria was represented at the forum, but Braimah's piece suggests the country's strategy isn't matching the urgency on the ground.

So what exactly is Nigeria doing wrong?

Braimah didn't go into specifics in the excerpt available, but the broader picture is clear. Nigeria signed the AfCFTA agreement in 2019 and ratified it in 2020. Since then, the country has been working on its national implementation strategy. But progress has been slow.

One major issue is infrastructure. Nigeria's ports are notorious for congestion and delays. Poor road and rail networks make moving goods expensive. Without fixing these basics, tariff reductions under AfCFTA won't mean much.

Another problem is the private sector. Many Nigerian businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, aren't ready to compete across the continent. They lack the quality standards, packaging, and financing needed to export.

Then there's the issue of politics. Some local industries fear that opening up will kill their businesses. They've lobbied the government to protect them. This has created a tension between liberalising trade and protecting domestic interests.

Meanwhile, other African countries are moving faster. Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa have already started trading under AfCFTA's guided trade initiative. Nigeria hasn't yet joined that pilot phase.

Braimah's article is a reminder that having a strategy isn't enough. You need to execute. And execution requires political will, money, and coordination across ministries and agencies.

The Nigerian government has set up a National Action Committee on AfCFTA. It's also launched a National AfCFTA Coordination Office. But these bodies need real power and funding to drive change.

For the average Nigerian, the AfCFTA promises cheaper goods, more jobs, and bigger markets for local producers. But those benefits won't come if the country doesn't get its act together.

As Braimah put it, the challenge is delivery. Nigeria has the ambition. Now it needs the action.