The National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office (NACO), Segun Awolowo, has said Nigeria, and indeed Africa, must export their ways out of poverty by adequately implementing the agreement.
Awolowo spoke at the launch of Nigeria’s inaugural shipment under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI)/AfCFTA Framework held at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
He said, “The only and most sustainable path to prosperity is through trade.”
Awolowo, while quoting a former Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru: “India must export or perish,” said, “That sentiment holds true for us today, and I say Nigeria, and indeed African countries, must export their way out of poverty, unemployment and economic depression.”
The coordinator said Nigeria’s commitment to AfCFTA would “provide a fillip to our aspirations for the industrialisation and diversification of our economy, attracting the much-needed participation and investment capital to drive development on key goals under the Renewed Hope agenda of this administration.”
Awolowo applauded the pioneering 10 companies exporting Nigerian products to East, Central and North African countries, saying they “embody the resilience, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that defines Nigeria.”
He said AfCFTA was the largest free trade area in the world, both by area and by the number of countries, comprising 55 countries, with a population of 1.3 billion and a combined GDP of about $3.4trn.
He further said, “In view of this, we must seize this opportunity by growing Nigeria’s production and productivity, building an army of exporters to be unleashed into the AfCFTA.
“As we embark on this journey, let us remain resolute in our collective effort to make AfCFTA a success.”
Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Le Look Nigeria Limited, a company exporting bags to Kenya, was first to receive the Nigeria/AfCFTA Certificate of Origin.
The 73-year-old entrepreneur said the feat was a fulfillment of her 39-year-old struggle promoting made-in-Africa goods.
She said, “I feel good. I am really overwhelmed with joy because it is a journey that I started 39 years ago, and I am 73 years old.
“I have been fighting to promote made-in-Africa (goods) when people hated anything made in Africa, especially in Nigeria. But today, as you can see, it has taken the centre stage in the world.”
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