The first shipment from Nigeria under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has successfully arrived at the Mombasa Port in Kenya.
A statement by Senior Trade Expert at Nigeria’s AfCFTA Coordination Office, said the goods is with reference to the decision of the AU Assembly at its 31st Ordinary Session marks a significant milestone for Nigeria in realizing the vision of increased intra-African trade and economic integration championed by the AfCFTA.
Speaking on this achievement, Olutayo, said AfCFTA presents a perfect opportunity for Africa to leverage trade as a strategic instrument for enhanced market access among state parties.
“This is a historic moment, a realization of the vision of our continent’s founding fathers and mothers. This first consignment which is a synthetic filaments product of Nigeria’s Lucky Fibres Limited (Lush), a subsidiary of the Tolaram Group, was exported under AfCFTA preferential terms.”
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Olutayo also praised the bold economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emphasizing their catalytic role in enabling Nigeria’s active participation in AfCFTA, fostering continental economic integration and industrialization goals.
Olutayo commended the seamless cooperation and commitment from Kenyan authorities, which exemplifies the true spirit of AfCFTA.
He also recognized the pivotal leadership role of the AfCFTA Secretariat in fostering this success and emphasized the collaborative efforts of the Kenya AfCFTA Implementation Committee and the Kenya Revenue Authority (Customs).
“The shipment, exported under AfCFTA preferential trade terms, underscores; partnership, shared vision, the agreement’s potential to transform Africa’s economic landscape and pave the way for a new era of trade-driven prosperity.”