MAN Trains Members, Others on Capacity Building towards AfCFTA
The President Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Engr. Mansur Ahmed has said that there has so far been significant progress made in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement with the number of institutions established in various countries.
Ahmed made this disclosure while fielding questions at the 6th Edition of the media luncheon and the reporter’s of the year awards held at MAN’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.
He hinted that the AfCFTA Secretariat has been established in Ghana as part of its implementation program.
According to him, negotiation is ongoing on the issues of tariff as 90 percent of Custom tariff is to be reduced to zero, while two and half percent of tariff will be excluded.
He maintained that it is time to negotiate the 6,000 tariff items across West Africa to know which items will constitute the 90 percent, 7 percent and two and half percent.
President MAN, however, noted that the 90 percent have been cleared while others are work in progress as most of the items are in the process of being finalized and negotiated.
In this regard, he said that all the institutions are being established to review the process and regulation, adding that Nigeria has set up a National Action Committee for us to get all the documents that are needed.
He mentioned that MAN is a member of the steering Committee of AfCFTA.
He stated further that some of the trading has started and is being tested.
He said that MAN took part in the Intra-Africa Trade Fair in Durban, South Africa, where some members agreed on some bills to supply.
He explained that there is a need to make things faster, stressing there is a lot of capacity building needed; hence members are being fully trained.
Ahmed urged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other agencies of government to key into this in order to be able to take advantage of AfCFTA.