Stakeholders have met in Rwanda under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, to deepen avenues for intra-African trade and foster deeper economic integration.
Present was the Comptroller-General of Custom, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Secretary General of AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene who met on on the margins of the Biashara Afrika 2024 forum in Kigali, to compare notes.
Adeniyi and Mene examined strategies on how to improve trade facilitation under the AfCFTA agreement, especially on existing bottlenecks and how small and medium-sized enterprises can take advantage of the opportunities provided by the agreement, given their critical role in boosting intra-African trade.
The AfCFTA Secretary General praised the Nigeria Customs Service for its progressive initiatives, including the pilot phase of the Authorized Economic Operator programme, the implementation of Advanced Rulings, and the conduct of Time Release studies.
“These initiatives have positioned the NCS as a benchmark for customs administrations across Africa,” saod Mene.
Adeniyi commended the Secretary-General for his unwavering commitment to advancing the AfCFTA’s goals, despite the resource constraints faced by the Secretariat.
He also noted the critical support provided by President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the legislative arm through the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
“The Act has been instrumental in providing the necessary legal framework for implementing initiatives that align with the government’s vision of making Nigeria the most efficient trading nation on the continent, fostering SME growth, and boosting exports to strengthen intra-African trade,” he said.
CREDIBLE NEWS reports that the high point of the engagement was the recent achievement of the CEO of LE LOOK Nigeria Limited, Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa who became the first woman to export goods under the Guided Trade Initiative of the AfCFTA to East, Central, and North African countries.
Her success, marked by the shipmemt in July 2024 from Apapa Port in Lagos, underscores the growing opportunities for Nigerian businesses in the continental market.
AfCFTA Secretariat restated commitment to develop a concept note outlining the way forward for the free trade area. In turn, the NCS pledged to bring these discussions to the Heads of Customs Administrations platform in Africa and ensure a coordinated approach to addressing customs-related challenges across the continent.
The Biashara Afrika, now in its second edition, has established itself as a formidable platform for engagement between African public and private actors on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.
This year’s forum focused on addressing the evolving challenges in the business environment and seeking innovative solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.
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