Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that one of the ways by which Africa can maximize benefits is to ensure that trade negotiations with the rest of the world are based on the free trade agreement.
He said that the continent should explore the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement in trade discussions rather than deals separately endorsed by regional economic blocs.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja, said the vice president delivered a keynote at the 61st annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) on Friday.
The theme of the virtual event is, “African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Post COVID-19 Era: What Next for Nigeria?”
“One important objective of the AfCFTA is to overcome the economic fragmentation of the continent by bringing the regional economic blocs together in a common arrangement.
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“This being the case, African countries should look to negotiating trade treaties with other parts of the world on the basis of AfCFTA rather than through arbitrarily designed regional blocs.
“African countries should not allow themselves to be lured into arrangements which do not serve their long-term development objectives.
“We must, of course, continue to bear in mind especially here in Nigeria that the AfCFTA is not a magic wand that automatically brings about growth and prosperity.”
“The reality is that if care is not taken, trade liberalization can expose the Nigerian economy to unfair competition and sharp trade practices, with adverse consequences for our producers who might have to close down their businesses, and for our workers who would then lose their jobs.”
According to him, successful implementation of the AfCFTA requires financing to address various implementation challenges and to promote arrangements in support of integration.
He said that in addition to making up for potential losses of tariff revenues, African countries would face implementation costs, including undertaking reforms, establishing new trade-related bodies, improving and upgrading existing facilities.
“Finding the resources to undertake these activities at a time like this when we lack fiscal space will, of course, prove to be very difficult for Nigeria and other African countries.
“Our economists should accordingly help to come up with innovative financing solutions for our economies.
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“Apart from reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus and mitigating its effect on the domestic economy, Nigeria must have an interest in promoting an AfCFTA that catalyzes regional value-chains, enables free movement of people, attracts investments and improves the continental payments system.
“As we seek to use the opportunities, we should remain alert to the need to create conditions that will enable our businesses to be able to compete and thrive within the AfCFTA.
”We can no longer plan without fully considering the AfCFTA; all planning and budgeting documents must take it into account.
”This explains why the current successor plan to the ERGP has the AFCFTA as an important reference,” he said.
On the Federal Government’s N2.3 trillion stimulus package, Osinbajo said the plan was designed to mitigate the shock, tackle the vulnerabilities, create and protect jobs, as well as rescue businesses and reposition the economy.
Prof. Sarah Anyanwu, NES’ President, in her remark, commended both President Muhammadu Buhari and the vice president.
According to her, Osinbajo is a friend of the society because he understands economic development.
The event attracted a host of Nigeria’s leading economists.(NAN)