The launch which will be held at Apapa Port, on Tuesday, July 16, is being convened by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office on behalf of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Expected dignitaries at the launch include President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Investment of Nigeria, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, other Government Officials, Ministers Responsible for Trade, the Diplomatic Corps, International Development Partners, Heads of Businesses and the Press from the rest of the Continent.
According to the national coordinator of Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Olusegun Awolowo, “Nigeria signed the AfCFTA Agreement on 7 July 2019, becoming the 34th AfCFTA State Party. With a robust economy across different industries and a huge potential effect on value chains across the continent, Nigeria’s readiness and preparedness for preferential trading under the AfCFTA preferential trade regime would immensely contribute to repositioning the continental market as a global trade market and rallying point”. The National Coordinator further stated that, “Nigeria is ready to unleash an army of exporters into Africa.”
The key objectives are to demonstrate and showcase Nigeria’s trading under the AfCFTA, and that businesses in Africa can take advantage of the GTI to trade, as well as the processes through which the AfCFTA can be effectively engaged. It is an indication of the readiness of governments of State Parties to support the private sector, businesses, etc. take advantage of the AfCFTA. The launch signposts the readiness of the AfCFTA Secretariat to support the AfCFTA implementation by the private sector and Member States.
The launch of Nigeria’s participation in the second phase of the GTI signals a new dawn for trading under the AfCFTA as several Nigerian businesses are eager and prepared for export and shipment of indigenous products within the continent with Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, and Egypt as target markets. This is to demonstrate Africa’s businesses’ ability and readiness to trade under the framework of the AfCFTA.
“Everything Africa needs for Africa is already in Africa,” said Awolowo.