The primer: Bracing Nigerian trading ecosystem for the future

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution or the ‘Digital Industrial Revolution’ or ‘Industry 4.0' or '4IR’ refers to the ongoing global conversion of labour-intensive manufacturing processes towards incorporating robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, customer service personalization and other forms of digital innovation. Although Nigeria is currently experiencing slow growth rates, all signs point to the country experiencing steady GDP growth through the 2020s. Based on this background, the purpose of this article is to provide a primer on the role that digitalization may play in Nigeria’s economic trajectory, and its implications on economy-wide deployment of digital trade facilitation.