The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, through its Export Promotion Group, has taught Nigerian exporters on how to capitalize on opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
According to The Punch, it developed the capacity during a two-day workshop with the theme “Exporting under the AfCFTA” that was held in Lagos in cooperation with the National Action Committee on African Continental Free Trade’s secretariat.
The acting chairman of MANEG, Odiri Erewa-Meggison, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to leveraging the enormous economic potential of the country through increased membership and collaborative relationships with other sector stakeholders.
She stated that the training was accessible to all exporters, current and potential, in an effort to strengthen the nation’s non-oil export industry.
“The state parties are Tunisia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Cameroon, Egypt, and Cameroon.
She claimed that as of September 2022, the eight states parties to the agreement that have satisfied the minimal requirements for trade have begun to put the AfCFTA into practice through the export of coffee products from Rwanda to Ghana and Exide Batteries from Kenya to Ghana.
“Without Nigeria, these nations are currently using the GTI. We at MANEG are determined to increase the capacity of our members to maximize comprehension of the free trade agreement and take full use of the benefits as soon as the pathway opens, as the Nigerian government works to assure our full participation in the AfCFTA.
“These countries are currently using the GTI without Nigeria. We at MANEG are determined to increase the capacity of our members to maximize comprehension of the free trade agreement and take full use of the benefits as soon as the pathway opens, as the Nigerian government works to assure our full participation in the AfCFTA.”
The training, according to Odiri, was a component of attempts to reposition MANEG to fulfill its role as the country’s premier and most well-known non-oil export promotion advocacy organization.
It’s vital to underline that one of the strongest aspects of the AfCFTA is trade without borders, according to the organization’s strategy coordinator, Franca Achimugu.
“This is relevant to the creation of a single market and the removal of trade restrictions in Africa. This entails that all of Africa be transformed into a single market and that there are no longer any trade barriers between countries.”
Additionally, the Executive Secretary of MANEG, Mr. Benedict Obhiosa, emphasized that the goal of the training session was to inform participants of the legal requirements for international trade.
“Participants would be well-informed about how to position their firms under the afCFTA thanks to the program,” he claimed.
