AfCFTA Ready To Work With Oyo Govt – Secretary General

*Says AfCFTA Will unlock prosperity, boost Oyo’s economy

By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA), His Excellency Wamkele Mene on Friday, said that AfCFTA Secretariat is ready to work with the Oyo State Government.

His Excellency Mene stated this in Ibadan, while speaking at the launch of the Oyo State Sub-national Implementation Strategy for AfCFTA, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

The AfCFTA Secretary General said Oyo State has, by leveraging on the opportunities provided by AfCFTA, become a beacon of resilience, competitiveness, job creation and prosperity for all.

According to His Excellency, Mene, the implementation strategy launched by the Oyo State would tackle the challenges of youth unemployment, drive economic growth, reduce poverty and improve the living standards of residents of the state, as the strategy has short, medium and long term benefits for the state.

“The AfCFTA Secretariat stands ready to work with you, to support you within our modest means to implement this strategy, to ensure that when we say Oyo State was the first state across the continent to have a sub-national strategy that does not end as a slogan, that indeed it does become a reality”, he said.

His Excellency Mene added, “AfCFTA is not a distant aspiration, but a present day opportunity to unlock prosperity, create employment for young people, for players in the informal sector, for farmers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers in Oyo State.”

Lauding Governor Seyi Makinde for his vision in recognising the importance of AfCFTA and in driving the launching of the implementation strategy, he described the launch as a bold step, which attests to Governor Makinde’s visionary leadership and understanding that.

The acting Governor of Oyo State, Barrister Adebayo Lawal who spoke on behalf of Gov Seyi Makinde, said the launch of the implementation strategy was a statement of intent and another definitive step to show that the state means business and is ready to be proactive and strategic to external trade policies.

Gov Makinde stressed that the medium, short and long term benefits of the strategy, will help to create employment, prepare farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs in the state for export and reduce poverty exponentially.

The governor noted that the strategy will, among other things, improve the export readiness of the state’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through training, support for compliance with standards on packaging and certifications and also signal to investors that Oyo State is ready and that it is a good place to invest.

He pointed out that the strategy will equally help to focus by identifying priority sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and the creative industry, while the state can also devote resources where they will bring the highest returns.

“Our gathering here today is not just for show. As of now, no sub-national entity in Nigeria or Africa has formally adopted the domestic strategy to operationalise the AfCFTA Agreement. But today, Oyo State becomes the first of the 591 sub-nationals in Africa to create an AfCFTA Implementation Strategy”, he said.

Gov Makinde added, “You may ask, why now? Some people who are used to politics without purpose may begin to look for ulterior motives. Some may even ask whose interest will this serve? Let me declare that we are acting now because we believe that while many states are waiting for a perfect alignment, we know that the sooner you prepare, the sooner you gain and that is why Oyo State chose not to wait”.

Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on International Trade and AfCFTA, Ms Neo Theodore Tlhaselo while speaking described the implementation strategy launch as a call to action and a significant signal that Oyo State is open for business locally and across Africa, adding that it also signifies a commitment to sustainable economic growth and that leaves no resident of the state behind.

Theodore Tlhaselo said the launch of the implementation strategy by the state will position it to take full advantage of the immense opportunities, which the AfCFTA, a historic continental trade integration, provides in terms of increasing the state’s production capacity, increasing trade volume and expanding the economy of the state.