Some stakeholders have reiterated the critical role of digitisation in ensuring that Nigeria maximally benefits from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.
The stakeholders spoke at a two-day Meeting /Capacity Building Workshop on AFCETA Draft Annexes to the protocol on digital trade, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN).
The event was aimed at training participants and sensitising them to ongoing negotiations that seek to operationalise key elements of the digital trade framework.
Amb. Yonov Agah, Director-General of the NOTN, reiterated the significance of the workshop in preparing stakeholders for upcoming negotiations.
Agah said that while the AfCFTA protocol had been agreed upon, many annexes remained under discussion, necessitating a well-informed approach to ensure that Nigeria’s interests were prioritised.
He said that the digital economy gained unprecedented attention since the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating online transactions as young Nigerians increasingly engage in digital commerce.
According to him, this neccesitated the urgent need for comprehensive rules governing these transactions.
“So we hope to sensitise the stakeholders on the issues and see how best we can formulate Nigeria’s position.
“So, the workshop aims to address essential topics, including data protection, digital infrastructure development, and support for MSMEs,” he said.
He urged the participants, drawn from major sectors of the economy, to collaborate in driving the interest of the country in realising the AfCFTA.
Also speaking, Dr Tsotetsi Makong, Chief Technical Advisor, Capacity Building, Trade Policy and Trade Negotiations, AfCFTA Secretariat, reiterated the importance of digitisation in boosting trade in Africa.
Makong also restated the importance of curbing the challenges that hindered efficient and effective trade in Nigeria, such as poor digital infrastructure like broad band connectivity, customs and logistics, among others.
He urged African countries to trade more among themselves, saying that the fact that they did not trade with each other was a major challenge.
According to him, the continent is lagging behind in trade compared to other nations, thus the need to take advantage of the opportunities in the AfCFTA to grow.
Dr Salisu Kaka, Director, E-Government and Digital Economy Development, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), reiterated the importance of AfCFTA to Nigeria and the continent.
Kaka, represented by his deputy, Mr Isa Garba, commended efforts of the NONT director-general in ensuring full implementation of the AfCFTA in the country .
He then urged participants and stakeholders to collaborate and ensure adequate deliberations that would support the realisation of the agreement.
By Lucy Ogalue, NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA