Kalu Advocates African-led Multilateral Digital Trade At WTO-IPU Steering Committee – Independent Newspaper Nigeria

Torkwase Nyiekaa

Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, has underscored the pivotal role of parliaments in advancing multilateralism through digital trade.

Addressing the theme “Promoting Multilateralism Through Digital Trade: What Role for Parliaments?” at the World Trade Organization/Inter-Parliamentary Union (WTO-IPU) Steering Committee during the WTO Public Forum 2025, held on the sidelines of the ongoing 55th Parliamentary Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, Kalu described digital trade as one of the defining governance challenges of today. He emphasized that it not only shapes the daily lives of entrepreneurs but also determines the future opportunities available to young people.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker noted that Africa is deliberately cultivating its own model of regional multilateralism through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its Protocol on Digital Trade, aimed at creating a harmonized and inclusive digital market across the continent.

Citing Nigeria’s legislative progress, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023 and the anticipated National Digital Economy Bill, Kalu stressed that African parliaments are not bystanders but active players in legislating the future of digital trade.

“The digital economy is no longer a far-off dream; it is the lived experience of our entrepreneurs and the horizon of opportunities for our youth. In Africa, we refuse to let others dictate our future,” he stated.

“Through the AfCFTA and its Protocol on Digital Trade, we are crafting a framework for a unified digital market. But let us be clear: blueprints alone do not build houses. Real progress depends on enforceable laws, the trust we foster, and the certainty we provide. In Nigeria, we have taken steps. The Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023 secures privacy, while the forthcoming National Digital Economy Bill will strengthen e-commerce and investment through legal certainty. Across Africa, parliaments are not observers; we are shaping tomorrow. Rules without enforcement are illusions. For smaller economies, a strong two-tier dispute settlement mechanism is not a luxury, it is survival.”

Kalu further highlighted the critical importance of enforcement and proposed three key steps for coordinated global and regional action: the establishment of a legislative tracking mechanism to ensure accountability; tangible WTO support for AfCFTA implementation to expand Africa’s digital trade; and the development of a model digital trade legislative toolkit, in partnership with UNCTAD and ITC, to guide parliaments in enacting best-practice laws for inclusive digital growth.

He urged parliamentarians worldwide to embrace collaboration, warning against the risks of fragmentation.

“We all recognize that speeches alone do not build futures; decisive actions do. To move from words to results, I propose three steps: a Legislative Tracking Mechanism to foster peer accountability by requiring us to report back on how resolutions are translated into action within our parliaments; concrete WTO support to strengthen AfCFTA’s digital trade agenda; and a Model Digital Trade Legislative Toolkit, co-designed with UNCTAD and ITC, to equip lawmakers with progressive, pro-development frameworks.

“Colleagues, the choice is simple yet urgent: either accept a fragmented digital reality shaped by others, or seize the opportunity to co-create a shared digital prosperity shaped by us. If we act in unison, digital trade will not deepen divides but build bridges of trust, opportunity, and inclusive multilateralism,” Kalu concluded.