South African Wamkele Mene has been elected the first-ever secretary general of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
The nomination of the former chief negotiator and World Trade Organisation diplomat was challenged by Nigeria, but he prevailed.
Earlier, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi confirmed that Nigeria was challenging Mene.
The headquarters of the trade commission will be in Ghana. Mene was the chief negotiator in the African Continental Free Trade Area for South Africa and a former trade diplomat at World Trade Organisation.