Donald Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs On Africa: An Unfair Aggression Or An Overdue Wake-Up Slap For Africa?

(By Dr. Ope Banwo, The Mayor of Fadeyi and Founder of Naija Live Matter)

When news broke that President Donald Trump had slapped steep reciprocal tariffs on African countries—with 14% for Nigeria and some countries as high as 50%—the streets of social media lit up like Owode Market during a riot. “Wickedness!” they screamed. “Neocolonialism!” they shouted. “Trump don come again!” the Twitter elders lamented.

But hold on a minute. Before we grab our placards and start burning American flags on Allen Avenue, Falomo and Fadeyi, , can we please calm down and do what we rarely do on this continent—look in the mirror?

Because this one, my people, no be jazz. It’s called economic consequence and day of reckonining for years of plan lessness, dependency, and taking advantage of America’s large heart in trade matters before Trump.

THE TRUTH NIGERIA AND AFRICA WON’T SAY OUT LOUD

For over two decades, Africa—especially Nigeria—has been enjoying what can only be described as one-sided love in global trade. Thanks to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), our exports—cocoa, textiles, crude oil, leather, cashew, and even voodoo herbs—entered the U.S. market virtually duty-free. Average tariff? Just 1%.

Now flip the script.

When it comes to American goods entering Africa, especially Nigeria, we behave like jealous lovers guarding their inheritance. We slap tariffs on U.S. imports like we’re trying to pay for our national budget through one shipping container. Wheat? 85%. Sugar? 75%. Alcohol? Nearly 90%. Vehicles? Add import duty plus NAC levy, you’re staring at 50%+.

Our average tariff on U.S. goods? 27%, with many exceeding 50% tariff. Now USA has decided to ask us ot pay 14% tariff and we are screaming blood murder? I laugh in Ijebu.

If Ghana did that to us, we’d proper cancel ECOWAS and call them saboteurs. If Benin Republic taxed our goods that way, we’d send Customs to Seme to block the border with trucks and curses. But when the U.S. finally says, “Una don try,” and responds with a 14% reciprocal tariff? We shout “bullying!” Who is fooling who? Seriously.

TRUMP ISN’T MAD. HE’S CONSISTENT.

Say what you like about Trump—he’s a polarizing bulldozer of a man. But on trade? The man has one guiding principle: If you tax me high, I tax you high too. He’s done it to China, Mexico, the EU, and even Canada. Now it’s Africa’s turn on the chopping block.

The only difference is: the others knew how to negotiate. Africa? We were still forming “victim” and playing “brotherly trade partnership” card like it was 2002. We keep playing Ludo while USA has decided to upgrade the game to chess.

Trump didn’t buy it.

And frankly, he shouldn’t. Would you buy it if it was the other way round?

IT’S NOT A CURSE. IT’S A WAKE-UP SLAP FOR US TO GET SERIOUS WITH OUR DESTINY

Now that the trumpet has sounded, what next?

First, let’s stop reacting emotionally. This is not the time for chest-beating or nationalistic tantrums. It’s not the time to threaten America with “we’ll stop importing iPhones”—because we both know we won’t.

This is a time for brutal self-reflection and smart re-strategizing.

Here are 10 Strategic Things Africa Must Do in Response to Trump’s Tariffs (Instead of Crying on Arise TV and Al Jazeera)

1. Suck Up to Trump with Style: Strategically Stroke His Ego.

Let’s just say it plainly: Trump’s greatest weakness is also his greatest currency—his ego. The man lives on flattery. While we’re busy demonizing him on Twitter, smart nations are kissing the ring and getting deals. If you flatter him right, he will lower tariffs, pose for a photo, and give you a better deal just to look like a benevolent emperor. That’s not selling out—that’s economic intelligence. In diplomacy, sucking up is a strategy when it pays national dividends. Swallow pride, smile wide, and go collect the win.

2. Do the Opposite of What He Did—Selectively Lower Our Tariffs

The whole premise of Trump’s reciprocal tax war is that the world, Nigeria inclusive have been unfair in their tariff regime to USA..and he is right to say that (charging USA 27% – 90% OR MORE, while we pay only 1% for our exports to USA is daylight robbery by Nigeria if truth must be said). So, Instead of matching fire with fire, we should selectively lower tariffs on U.S. goods—especially those we truly need like medical tech, industrial machinery, and clean energy components. Not as a favor, but as leverage. Offer something he wants to get what we need—better access for our textiles, cocoa, oil, leather, and processed foods. That’s how you deal with a dealmaker.

3. Stop the Tariff Hypocrisy

We can’t charge the U.S. an average of 27% on imports while we enjoy 1% going in. Most Nigerians are not even aware that we used to pay on 1% tariff for exports going to USA while we charge them crazy tariff for imports to Nigeria. Now trump wants 14% while we still charge USA more than double in many place and we are shouting?  It’s economic double standards. Time to audit and reform our tariff policies to reflect mutual respect with USA, not trade entitlement that I am reading from a lot of our egg heads.

4. Diversify Our Export Markets Immediately

For too long, we’ve acted like AGOA is our economic salvation because of the free imports that USA allows from Nigeria and other countries. We like the free tariffs and 1% deal America has been giving us for years and refused to think of diversity.  Fact is, America is not the only market. China, India, UAE, Brazil, and intra-African markets are wide open. If the U.S. door gets too heavy to push, find another entrance.

5. Process Before You Export

Exporting raw materials is a poverty strategy. You send out cocoa and import chocolates? You ship crude oil and import fuel? It’s madness. Trump’s 14% tariff is mostly on raw materials coming to USA too because he knows we are too lazy to process most of our raw materials here. We like to export oil. Export raw cocoa. Export raw wood. We eat our cow hides as ponmon and bokoto instead of processing it into Gucci shows and louis Vuitton hand bags but want ot hate on Trump for exploiting our lack of imagination as a nation. We want to get easy dollars without creating much value or processing. So, its Time to add value before shipping. Let the world pay us for finished products, not raw resources.

6. Deepen Intra-African Trade

The AfCFTA is the biggest opportunity since independence. Let’s start doing serious business with each other. Trade with Ghana, manufacture in Kenya, export to Rwanda. It’s a shame that right now intra-Africa trade is still just about 20% of all trades in Africa. What a shame. Africa can be its own biggest customer if we stop acting like colonial middlemen while we keep blaming them for all our problems.

7. Put Professionals, Not Politicians, in Trade Negotiations

Enough of sending clueless officials to talk trade with the U.S. They don’t understand the game. Most of our politicians and clueless civil servants we send on trade missions and conference are only interested in it for the esta code and most don’t even attend sessions. They are either busy shopping or holed up in their hotels with ‘olosos’ while the rest of the world is making deals. We need to get smart and start sending real trade economists. Start Sending private sector experts with vested interests in better deals for Nigeria. We need ot start sending hardcore people who know how to negotiate and who will finish the work before going shopping or calling escort numbers.

Its time Stop embarrassing ourselves with people looking for photo ops and visiting landmark locations instead of trade deals.

8. Build a Real Export Ecosystem

Our exporters need support. 25% interest rate for businesses will not help us grow. They need Access to good and affordable credit, warehousing, logistics, export insurance, and market data. Without that, we can’t compete globally. We can’t win trade wars with Okadas and prayer points. Trump has just given us an opportunity to force ourselves to get better int this critical areas so we will stop being roadkill for the super powers.

9. Use AGOA While It Lasts—Then Fight to Extend It

AGOA is set to expire in 2025. If care is not taken, Trump will end it and dare us to do our worst. Instead of waiting for the expiration date to come and then start crying, we should be leading the charge to extend it or renegotiate it better, not just waiting for America’s mood swings. Don’t beg. Negotiate smart. Lobby harder. Unite with other African countries to speak with one voice.

10. Create the Africa Trade War Room

We need to set up a continental trade command center: policy analysts, diplomats, economists, and legal experts working 24/7 on how to outmaneuver global trade threats and make long-term moves. No more waiting for crises before we think.

IN CONCLUSION: STOP CRYING. START THINKING.

This is not the time to throw tantrums or write angry think-pieces. This is chess, not checkers. Trump may be loud, but he’s not mad. And if we’re smart, we won’t just survive this tariff war—we’ll come out of it with better trade deals, stronger economies, and a new respect for African leverage.

Donald Trump’s tariffs may sting, but they are not the problem. They are just the symptoms of Africa’s lazy trade strategy, our reliance on grace instead of grit, and our addiction to one-sided economic romance.

It’s not neocolonialism. It’s a mirror.

The question is: will we look into it and rise?
Or will we keep whining while others are negotiating?

As for me, I am not angry Trump. The Man is just playing the Darwinian game.
It’s time we learn the rules of survival in the global jungle and stop acting like every tough play is an oppression. There is always an opportunity in every disaster, we just need to put on our thinking and acting cap, and take advantage of it.

Dr Ope Banwo
Attorney & Public Affairs Analyst
The Mayor of Fadeyi
Founder, Naija lives Matter Organization