The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat has selected Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria as the first countries to implement ADAPT, a digital trade infrastructure initiative developed with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the World Economic Forum and the IOTA Foundation. The programme is designed to support cross-border digital identity, trusted data exchange and interoperable payment rails under the AfCFTA framework, with IOTA positioning the pilots as an early step toward a continental standard for digital trade.
IOTA Backs ADAPT Trade Pilots in Three Nations
The AfCFTA Secretariat announced from Accra that Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria will lead the first implementation phase of the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade initiative, known as ADAPT. The initiative was launched in November 2025 and is intended to provide shared digital infrastructure for connecting trade systems across all 55 African countries participating in the AfCFTA vision.
IOTA said in posts on X that ADAPT is being led by AfCFTA in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the World Economic Forum and the IOTA Foundation. The project aims to establish digital identity systems, enable live cross-border data exchange and integrate interoperable payment rails in each pilot country. Dominik Schiener, co-founder and chair of the IOTA Foundation, wrote on X that he was “really proud” of the work being done with AfCFTA, the Tony Blair Institute and other partners to digitize trade across Africa, adding that “lots more” would follow once the trade routes are fully operational.
H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, framed the project as part of the broader effort to make the continental trade agreement operational at scale. “The full implementation of the AfCFTA could boost intra-African exports by over 80% and generate up to US$450 billion by 2035. Through initiatives like ADAPT, digital public infrastructure spanning digital identity, payments, and data systems will be the engine that lowers trade costs, expands market access, and enables a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient African single market.”
Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria Test Digital Rails
The three pilot countries were selected through a two-stage process that considered national ratification of the relevant protocol, political commitment, institutional readiness, legal and regulatory alignment, technical capacity, private sector engagement and co-financing readiness. The Secretariat said those criteria were used to identify countries positioned to test the model, scale implementation and support AfCFTA’s digital trade objectives.
ADAPT is built on interoperable digital trade infrastructure known as TWIN and is intended to move African trade systems away from fragmented, paper-based processes. The initiative will focus first on digitizing trade documentation at the source, enabling live cross-border data exchange and supporting faster, more secure transactions for businesses engaged in intra-African commerce. The programme also includes future exploration of digital payment solutions, including stablecoins and other digital currency applications.
Schiener said IOTA’s role is tied to building trust infrastructure for cross-border commerce rather than merely digitizing existing workflows. “Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog fragmented, paper-based trade systems and establish digital trust infrastructure designed for the future. ADAPT is not only digitising processes, but it is also creating a shared, interoperable foundation where trade data can be trusted, verified, and exchanged securely across borders. We are proud to contribute our technology and expertise to a milestone that advances not only digital trade, but the broader vision of a truly integrated African market.”
Implementation will now begin in Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria through ADAPT Country Implementation Forums, integration of digital identity and payment systems, and alignment with continental interoperability standards. Frank Matsaert, Global Lead for Trade at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said the first three deployments mark the start of implementation under AfCFTA.
“By embedding digital trust and interoperability at the heart of trade processes, the AfCFTA and its partners are laying the foundation for a more connected, competitive, and resilient African market. The ADAPT initiative welcomes active participation by additional partners and funders.” Chido Munyati, Head of Africa and member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, said the initiative reflects a shift “from ambition to execution” by supporting trusted digital frameworks intended to make trade faster, more transparent and more inclusive.
AI Transparency Note: This article was prepared with the assistance of an AI system based on the sources listed and was reviewed, edited, and approved by a human editor before publication. All quotes, data points, and factual claims are intended to be grounded in the cited source material; however, errors cannot be ruled out entirely.
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