The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo has said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) will assist Nigeria to address unemployment and the prevailing insecurity in the country.
Speaking at the official flag – off of the Nationwide sensitisation tour by the National Action Committee onAFCFTA in Kaduna, the Minister said the sensitization was in line with the mandate to prepare Nigeria to take advantage of the AfCFTA Agreement while also mitigating its threats to the Nigerian economy.
He said the core objective of the AfCFTA according to the action Committee is to create a single market for goods, services, and free movement of persons in order to deepen the economic integration of the African continent.
The nationwide sensitisation he stressed is expected to take the message to the grassroots levels where the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth, both natural resources and human talent and economic activities are domiciled and is set to cover all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory”.
Represented by the Director, Trade Department in the Ministry, Abubakar Aliyu, the Minister said “The agreement is about promoting industrialization among ourselves, adding that “for us in Nigeria our fortune is determined by oil. Anytime the price goes down, Nigeria goes into recession and when the price stabilize, we struggle to come out.
“The agreement can only succeed when the states key into it. It is important that all the states key into it. Not every body will take their products to Africa.
” The first question we should ask ourselves is what is the source of insecurity, it has root in unemployment, so we need to tackle unemployment. As you are tackling unemployment, if you are producing and you don’t have where to sell, then the product will fail.
You remember when people come from all over Africa to buy from Nigeria, that is what we are trying to reverse. The more people are engaged in job creation, the less people will be available to terrorism and criminal activities.
