By Chika Okeke
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has advanced negotiations on tariff and products, with the ECOWAS Commission proceeding with the transmission of the agreed Category B and C lists to the AfCFTA authorities.
National Coordinator of Nigeria AFCFTA Coordination office, Mrs Patience Okala stated this while providing an update on the AfCFTA category-band B and C classification led by the ECOWAS Commission, during the Stakeholders Engagement on Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Negotiation Architecture in Abuja.
Following the October 30, 2020 ECOWAS memorandum, the ECOWAS Commission was mandated to finalise the draft ECOWAS Common Schedule of Tariff Concessions, incorporating the 73 tariff lines agreed by the Ministerial Committee on Tariff Concessions comprising Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission.
Category A covers 90 per cent of tariff lines, while Category B covers sensitive products and Category C covers products on the exclusion list. While Category A was initially required during the early phase of AfCFTA implementation, the implementation process now requires the full complement of Categories A, B and C.
Okala said that the ECOWAS Commission has finalised the Category B and C listings following the directive of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry at their meeting in Accra, Ghana, and in line with decisions of the 18th AfCFTA Council of Ministers.
She stated that the development represents an important step in completing the tariff concession process and advancing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The AfCFTA, which covers 55 member states of the African Union, aims to unite all African countries to create a single market for goods and services, targeting a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $3.4 trillion.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu said that the framework was expected to comprise the National Trade Coordination Platform and the National International Investment Agreement Negotiation Team, with a designated Secretariat responsible for coordination.
The Permanent Secretary noted that the engagement was convened to examine how the proposed mechanism would operate in practice, with presentations and discussions focusing on membership, responsibilities, terms of reference and the status of ongoing negotiations.
Isokpunwu, who was represented by Head, Special Duties Department, Mr. Simon Omo-Ezomo encouraged participating institutions to make concise and practical contributions, identify areas of overlap or uncertainty and indicate the technical support they could provide.
Each participating institution is expected to nominate two focal officers to improve continuity, strengthen information exchange and support the quality and timeliness of Nigeria’s trade negotiations
He disclosed that the Trade Negotiation Department would document the deliberations and develop an action matrix assigning responsibilities and timelines, expressing confidence that stakeholders’ contributions would produce a practical, coordinated and responsive framework for advancing Nigeria’s trade and investment interests.
The Federal Government through the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole plans to strengthen the Commercial Officer cadre to provide market intelligence, trade-policy analysis and support for Nigerian businesses operating in international markets.
To this end, the Commercial Officer function will support policy analysis, negotiation preparation, stakeholder coordination, reporting and institutional knowledge management.
Regrettably, the operations of Enlarged National Focal Point (ENFP) over the years were affected by challenges including a large and dispersed membership, irregular meetings, changes in institutional representation, weak follow-up and record-keeping, as well as overlaps with other trade-related institutions.
The recalibration initiated by Oduwole is designed to retain the inclusive character of the former ENFP while introducing clearer technical leadership, reporting lines, institutional responsibilities and accountability.
Under the proposed arrangement, the Director of Trade would chair the architecture, with relevant departments providing technical leadership and the designated Secretariat maintaining the negotiation portfolio, institutional records and action reports.
The stakeholder engagement is expected to strengthen the institutional framework through which Nigeria develops, coordinates and advances its trade negotiating positions, ensuring that the country’s expanding participation in regional and global trade is supported by evidence, technical expertise, stakeholder input and clear institutional accountability.
