The Minister, Industry Trade and Investment Adeniyi Adebayo, at the weekend said the government should to address bottleneck, simplify customs procedures and enhance infrastructure , as the focus should be on streamlining border procedures.
The Minister stated this at a workshop on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area AFCFTA on onboarding of Businesses, Exporters via Guided Trade Initiative GTI in Abuja.
He said the GTI is an integral part of the AfCFTA, which aims to facilitate and enhance trade by providing businesses and exporters with the necessary tools, knowledge, and support.
He noted that the GTI recognises the critical role that the private sector plays in driving economic development to empower enterprises capitalise on the benefits offered by the AfCFTA. The focus is mainly on value addition and industrialisation, skills development and capacity building and trade facilitation and logistics.
Adeniyi said as the government inaugurates the onboarding for businesses and exporters onto the GTI, it would mark a significant milestone. This initiative would act as a compass, guiding businesses through the intricate landscape of trade, enabling them to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that lies ahead he added.
The Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council NEPC Ezra Yakusak, said this workshop organised by the Council and the AfCFTA, Coordinating Office, couldn’t have come at a better time in view of the declaration by the Heads of States and Government of the Year as 2023 for “acceleration of AfCFTA implementation”. This important programme is aimed at enlightening, educating, networking and test running the Agreement on select companies from Nigeria, he said.
He added that the key objective of this event, therefore, is to kick-start the process of preparing Nigerian exporters/businesses for onboarding to the Guided Trade Initiatives. The NEPC as the apex organisation for the development and promotion of non-oil export is strategically positioned to assist in providing the right platform for Nigerian companies to gain access in major markets, especially in Africa in line with the objectives of AfCFTA.