The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) is the umbrella organization of traders in raw materials, industrial and finished goods (locally made and imported) in Nigeria.

However, to encourage and improve the interlink between market access and production of goods, NANTS membership has recently been expanded to include local manufacturers of certain items (such as shoes, garments, cosmetics, furniture, household goods), local raw material providers, etc, as well as local farmers in various agriculture produce. Women constitute about 65% of NANTS membership. 

The vision of NANTS is “advancing trade beyond buying and selling to a vehicle for social justice, human rights, sustainable development and poverty reduction”. 

The mission of NANTS is “promoting trade and economic advancement, uniting and championing the rights and cause of the entrepreneurs through strategic programmes and policy interventions”. 

NANTS has been in existence since 1997 – under the Military regime, but was legally registered as a ‘National’ organisation in 2001 with the entrance of civilian administration in Nigeria. NANTS Corporate Headquarters is based in Abuja, with a commercial office in Lagos. 

Size: NANTS is a membership organisation which hitherto had individual members, but eventually evolved into unit membership for easy administrative purposes. At present, NANTS has about 152 market and producers associations as units under the umbrella consisting of over 14,000 individuals.

Our Struggles: Economic justice, sustainable development, poverty reduction and human rights.

1. Promoting trade as a vehicle for wealth creation and poverty eradication through pro-poor trade policy advocacy has been NANTS major area of work since the organization started.
2. NANTS is the Nigerian non state actors Focal Point on Trade. The organisation represents the nation’s non state actors on WTO and other trade related matters.
3. NANTS is the Federal government of Nigeria Technical Committee Secretariat for the EPA preparations and processes providing technical inputs and support to the Nigerian core team for the conduct of the negotiations.
4. NANTS is the (civil society and the private sector) representative in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations as enunciated in the Cotonou Agreement since inception in 2000 and since commencement of the EPA negotiations in 2002 till date for Nigeria as well as part of the West African Civil Society Team.
5. NANTS has carried out several activities on the EPA in Nigeria since the EPA subject matter came up and they include:

1. Mainstreaming Trade into NEEDS II; NANTS started a project last year on mainstreaming trade into the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy II which is Nigeria’s PRSP. The objective is to pull trade as a core development instrument into the country’s overall development strategy as an instrument for poverty reduction. The project is currently on its second phase, is being funded by the DFID.
2. Human rights and civic responsibility education to traders immediately after the Military era in Nigeria
3. National sensitization workshop on Police powers and Traders rights sponsored by the US Embassy Self Help Project (2000)
4. Program on Agriculture: NANTS has been carrying out consultations with farmers (constituent members)from time to time to update them on issues related to improvements in Agricultural practices, know their concerns and challenges and proffer solutions for increased Agricultural productivity and sustaining Livelihoods.
5. Program on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria as they affect productivity and health of NANTS constituent members
6. Program on Gender
7. Mainstreaming gender dimensions into the entire work of NANTS as well as the in socio-economic policies of the Nigerian government. Some interventions include:  Audit of gender dimensions of Nigeria Trade Policy (2002) and Audit of gender dimensions of Nigeria Agricultural Policy (2001)