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AfCFTA boosts intra-African trade by 20% — UNECA

Published

9 months ago

March 2, 2023

The Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) increased intra-African trade by 20 per cent in 2022.

This is against the commission’s prediction of 52 per cent by 2022.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Ninth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Niamey, Niger, Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary, UNECA, said the level of trade had increased.

Pedro was then asked if the commission had achieved the objective of 52 per cent intra-African trade.

“Certainly not yet. But the levels of intra-African trade have gone up from 13 per cent or so, before the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement was adopted, to now around 20 per cent but that is not good enough because other regions are trading amongst themselves.

“I mean, above 70 per cent or so Europe, Asia. So, that certainly is our target.”

The acting executive secretary said the rise in intra-African trade, however, was already encouraging certain countries to trade amongst themselves.

“Under the AfCFTA Trade Division, Kenya, a couple of other countries Ethiopia and so on and so forth.

“So now it’s really about scale, it is about making these movements that cover the entire continent.

“One is to look at the product complementarity between our countries, so we could have African countries trading inputs with another country where, perhaps, you have a much larger processing capacity and one example that I like to cite is between, for example, Gabon and Cameroon.

“Cameroon has processing facilities for palm oil products that require additional inputs coming from the sub region, and in this case, one could look at certain processed palm oil products coming from Gabon being processed in Cameroon to produce from soaps to oils to all sorts of other things.”

Pedro said these were some of the efforts which needed to happen.

He said the commission was making a trade decision supporting modelling, which was an exercise to identify the best export destinations for African countries.

However, he said the distance within African countries was much farther away than the distance between Africa and other continents.

“In the case of Cameroon that we have done one study; Nigeria certainly is the closest trade destination, however, what is very interesting is that a country that is not far from Cameroon which is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is trade distance.

“Countries that are miles away, China and the U.S. are closer trade wise to Cameroon than DRC.

“Why is it that DRC is a trade distant is because there are issues with infrastructure. There are issues with essentially the connections and we need to address those binding constraints to Africa trading amongst themselves such as infrastructure.

“Some are hard infrastructure that we need to invest in improving links between our respective countries, others are soft infrastructure.”

The acting executive secretary also said protocols that had been approved and some that were in the pipeline needed to be mainstreamed and domesticated in national legislation.

“We still have situations where the customs departments are not aware. I mean, we are already trading within these AfCFTA trade regimes and they do not know what is the list of 90 per cent of products that can be traded without barriers or levies.

“We do not face problems in trading, and also communication about the AfCFTA needs to be improved within government departments.”

Pedro also said information needed to reach the operators on ground so when companies or individuals were exporting, they were not faced with all sorts of barriers.

“That is why the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area rests also in the accelerated implementation of the boosting intra African trade data Action Plan.

“Basically, data is about addressing the binding constraints to celebrating intra African trade which are again, a combination of hard and soft issues.”

News

Gov Akeredolu Releases N1bn For Retired Teachers, LG Workers In Ondo

Published

18 hours ago

December 1, 2023

Alero Danjuma

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has flagged off the payment of N1bn as a gratuity to teachers and local government workers who retired in 2011.

Akeredolu, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr. Dare Aragbaiye, said the N1bn was sourced from the October allocation from the federation account.

He said the payment of N1bn marked a gradual defrayment of the backlog of gratuity arrears for retirees of Local Government and Primary school teachers.

According to him, “another tranche would soon be paid within the first quarter of next year.

Some pensioners who retired in 2012 were paid, while those the government termed distressed benefitted from the N1bn payment.

The governor said that his administration has fully paid all outstanding salaries and pensions, including the allowances of all retirees left by the previous administration.

“We want to make sure pensioners in the state do not suffer anymore. We are making efforts to rid our communities of miscreants and criminals, as well as those who engage in cult-related activities in our dear state.

“The State Government is continually committing enormous resources to strengthening the Amotekun Corps in terms of equipment and human resources.

“This is in addition to the provision of funds and other logistical support to other sister security agencies operating in Ondo State. Our government cannot tolerate a situation where our citizens cannot conduct their daily businesses in a safe environment.”

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Takuro Amidu, said the payment of the gratuity was initiated by Governor Akeredolu by ensuring that some money was saved every month.

Amidu said that Governor Akeredolu was poised to take care of senior citizens.

Some of the pensioners said it was suicidal for them to survive 12 years without collecting their gratuities.

Many of them said that they would use a chunk of the money to pay accumulated debts.

One of them, Chief Ojo Samuel, said it was difficult for him to cope with life situations after he retired and his gratuity was not paid.

“We thank God we are alive to collect and enjoy our benefit.”

The chairman of pensioners in Ondo State, Johnson Osunyemi, said the payment of N1bn was a reassurance that the governor would do more for them.

Osunyemi said pensioners have not witnessed such a good gesture in the state.

News

Gunshots At NANS Convention In Abuja, Seyi Tinubu Accused Of Imposing Candidate

Published

2 days ago

November 30, 2023

Desmond Ukafor

Gunshots In Abuja At Nigerian Students, NANS Convention As Seyi Tinubu Allegedly Plots To Impose 48-Year-Old Candidate As President

Heavy gunshots on Wednesday rocked the vicinity of the old parade ground in Abuja, venue of the national convention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), according to videos obtained by SaharaReporters. 

NANS, the umbrella body of students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, is currently holding a convention to elect a new set of national leaders.

A source, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said some students sustained wounds from the gunshots and machetes after thugs loyal to a candidate said to be the preferred choice of President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi, began attacking opposition delegates.

The thugs were said to have been led by one Sunday Asefon, recently appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Students Engagements.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported how students and stakeholders kicked against the candidature of one Lucky Emonefe, a 48-year-old citizen, as president of the association.

Emonefe, who has been parading himself as Seyi’s preferred choice left the College of Education, Warri, Delta State 20 years ago (2003).

It was learnt that some politicians had raised millions of Naira to influence the ongoing election and support his candidature.

“It’s extremely shameful to see old men who should rather be more concerned about the lives and welfare of their wives and kids fighting for positions in the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS),” a student had said.

“Imagine someone who left the College of Education since 2003, about 20 years ago is now planning to become President of the association due to selfishness of some people working with politicians.”

Another student added, “This same old man, his wife is a serving councillor under PDP in Delta, she is serving her second tenure, so you can guess his age. He is supported by the Delta State Government machinery over this.

“But in Abuja, he is claiming to be an APC member after racketeers led by Asefon collected millions of Naira from him and sold him to Seyi Tinubu as APC candidate for NANS President. Now they came here and started shooting anyhow and attacking delegates who are not in Lucky’s support.”

About seven other aspirants are contesting to be President of the students’ association.