By Felix Khanoba
Nigeria’s six ge-opolitical zones have agreed to develop products and services according to their comparative advantage to fully maximise opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This was made known at the end of three-day Sub-National Strategy Workshop held in Abuja, which was organised by the National Action Committee on AfCFTA in conjure with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the event on Thursday, Francis Anatogu, Secretary, National Action Committee on AfCFTA, explained that it would be easier to get each geo-political zone across the country to focus on some products they have comparative advantage to overcome the issues of funding and value chain.
While assessing the impact of the workshop which drew key stakeholders from 31 States, Anatogu, who is also Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Sector Matters, said the gathering had helped various States to understand the objectives of AfCFTA.
He assured that the National Action Committee on AfCFTA would continue to work with Nigeria Governors Forum to galvanise the States to ensure that Nigeria occupies a pride of place in the AfCFTA.
Also speaking, Mrs Shimite Bello, Coordinator, Delta Export Initiative, explained that South-South geo-political zone has resolved to embark on the production of palm oil, cassava, aquaculture, fashion, art and crafts.
Bello, who spoke on behalf of the South-South Region, pointed that the states in the South-South have been working assiduously to create enabling environment and provision of infrastructure for the proper take-off of the implementation of AfCFTA.
In her remarks, Fatima Wushishi, Director General of Niger State Investment Promotion, said the North Central region would focus its attention on rice production across its value chain.
Wushishi underscored the need for States to collaborate rather than compete.
She called for the provision of quality infrastructure and the institutionalisation of standards to drive the implementation of AfCFTA.
Mr Olufemi Ajayi, Ekiti State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, said the South West region would look at the trade policies and legal framework in order to participate optimally in AfCFTA.
Ayayi however called on the Federal Government to streamline the mandates of regulatory institutions such as the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to forestall duplication of functions.
He said the South-West region had constituted a Technical Working Group, adding that the Committee would soon come up with a workable implementation plan for the region.
On his part, the representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Eghosa Omoigui, said there has been a lot of political will shown by States in the implementation of decisions reached the workshop.
Omoigui urged all stakeholders to participate actively in the implementation of AfCFTA to forestall Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for finished goods under AfCFTA.
He assured that the NGF would continue to prioritise AfCFTA, adding that achieving competitiveness needs collaboration.
