…Says it will take up to a year for real activity to commence
As countries gear up for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has cautioned stakeholders who are in the habit of saying that Nigeria is not prepared for AfCFTA to desist as that does not reflect the true position of the country.
The National President of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche who gave the words of caution in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos earlier in the week stated that although Nigeria happened to be one of the countries that signed last, he was aware that the National Action Committee (NAC) had been doing their best to get those structures in place to benefit Nigeria.
Uche disclosed that for now, NAC was engaged in sizing up the economy and bringing in experts to talk on how to draw the templates that would enable Nigeria participate effectively.
According to him, “You know the bureaucratic bottlenecks in government; it is not just something that will come in one day. I am aware that NAC is still working; the secretariat is still working assiduously to put the necessary platforms in place.
“Rules of origin certificates currently are being issued by NACCIMA (Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture), I don’t think there is going to be any much change rather than reinforcement of that very agency. They should give support either by expansion or inclusion of relevant stakeholders in the commercial subsector.
“Now, the secretariat of NAC, I am aware that to them, they have drawn the roadmap that will guide government on the requirements but where the fears lie is the Nigerian merchants because the whole thing just took off and I don’t think, as Ghana claimed that they have done the first export, we are yet to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of that very claim. I think, every other country is still trying to buckle up and I know that it will still take up to a year for the real activity in the AfCFTA to stabilize.
“So, for now, I don’t think that there should be any cause for alarm. I am aware there was a seminar that was conducted about three to four days ago still on how to monitor and evaluate the proceedings. So, Nigeria is not shying away because I know that with time, all those areas that needed to be touched, those instruments that needed to be provided like the tariff harmonization, mapping out the tariff regime, it is going to incorporate all countries in Africa not just Nigeria. So, there should be uniformity in the pattern by which the rules of origin certificate will be issued. Already, there has been a guide towards that; what a country can do and what you cannot do, how the certificate must emanate, who issues it and so on.
So far, the only area I don’t want Nigeria to delve into is that area of saying that we are not prepared. I think the best thing is to go into the trade first, let us attempt and see what is going on because it is only by participating that we will know where we are not getting it right and with time, we can get it perfected.”
The NAGAFF President observed that the major concern for now should be the preparedness of the Nigerian merchants; the exporters as well as whether or not Nigeria has the products that would enable her compete with other countries.
“That is where I want to believe that we need to work on seriously, the infrastructure that is required to be put in place. Then the support that the merchants will require, then we need, first, to test whatever product they want to showcase and then the link”, he added.
He however said that with the advent of AfCFTA, it is a new dawn in Africa as according to him, the free trade had come to stay “having taken off since January 2021 which is almost six months behind the initial takeoff time.”
Photo: The National President of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche.
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