FG begins nationwide sensitisation on AfCFTA January

The Federal Government said it has declared January 2021 a month to campaign on the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) in Nigeria.

This indication was given by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, ahead of the January 1, 2021 takeoff date of the AfCFTA , even as it called on corporate Nigeria and industrialists to take advantage of opportunities offered by the continental economic bloc to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods.

A statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Ifedayo Sayo, said Nigeriacannot afford to be left out of the world’s largest trading bloc, estimated at $3.4 trillion involving about 55 countries in continental Africa.

The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), the world’s largest free trade area in terms of 55 participating countries, will commence on January 1, 2021. The commencement date will signal the beginning of the implementation of a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments across Africa.

The Minister said, “The journey started on July 7, 2019 when Nigeria became the 53rd African country to sign the AfCFTA treaty. Long before then, it had always been the dream of Nigeria and Africa’s founding fathers to unite the continent in one, shared prosperity. “We have worked tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria not only partakes as a signatory in name, but becomes a major trade and economic power house, even more than we have been within the ECOWAS sub-region.” Also speaking on steps taken by government towards the effective implementation of AfCFTA, Secretary, National Action Committee on AfCFTA, Francis Anatogu, said, “We are effectively coordinating with all critical stakeholders to ensure a smooth playing field for Nigerian traders and business men to explore the vast markets that will be opened up come January 1, 2021. “We are set to commence a major communication campaign and have tagged January 2021 as AfCFTA Awareness and Sensitisation month, across the six geopolitical zones, and will involve various stakeholder groups in public, private and civil society sectors, as well as other critical traditional institutions.”