Thirty-six Nigerian business associations, supported by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), have established the Trade in Services Coalition to facilitate the implementation of the Trade in Services Protocol under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The coalition aims to unite players in Nigeria’s trade in services industry, guided by a five-member coordination committee overseeing activities in business, communication, finance, tourism, travel, and transport.
Lars Benson, regional director of CIPE Africa, emphasized the coalition’s goal to help Nigerian businesses leverage AfCFTA opportunities, which promise significant trade and innovation potential in goods and services across Africa and globally. “One of the aims of this coalition is to help businesses in Nigeria take advantage of the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA,” Benson said.
The coalition’s objectives include supporting the AfCFTA Trade in Services Protocol in Nigeria, advocating on trade-related issues, and fostering a united front for impactful change. “To achieve these objectives, the coalition will focus on addressing the need to integrate Nigeria into the five priority sectors of the AfCFTA Trade in Services. Empowering various stakeholders in the five priority sectors in Nigeria to take control of trade in services future through advocacy training and capacity building on trade,” Benson added.
The coalition plans to collaborate with national professional bodies and regulatory institutions, seeking appropriate government intervention to provide services efficiently. This collaboration aims to achieve more effective program delivery and eliminate unnecessary duplication of efforts within Nigeria and across other African Member States.
Lola Adekanye, CIPE country director in Nigeria, highlighted trade in services as a major growth and development instrument for the Nigerian economy. Mary Odongo, CIPE’s program manager for Africa, noted that the coalition will help Nigerian businesses understand and advocate for the Protocol of Trade in Services of AfCFTA, enabling their participation in its implementation.
Mfon Usoro, president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria, and the elected National Coordinator for the coalition, described the group’s formation as timely and essential for harnessing AfCFTA’s benefits.
