MAN Solicits FG to Appoint A New National Chief Negotiator

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The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), President, Dr Frank Udemba Jacobs said, “we are also worried that the Director General of Nigeria Office Trade Negotiation (NOTN) “Chief Negotiator’ doubles as Chairman of AU-AfCFTA Negotiation Committee and may need to balance allegiance to both Nigeria and the AU-AfCFTA Negotiation Committee; as such, we implore the Federal Government to consider appointing a National Chief Negotiator that will be saddled with the responsibility of negotiating specifically for Nigeria.”

The MAN President stated this at a press conference tagged “MAN’s Position on AfCFTA” with the leadership of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria held at MAN House on Tuesday 26th June, 2018

 

Dr Jacobs while response to if MAN is calling for vote of no confidence on the Director General of Nigeria Office Trade Negotiation as a person? He said no, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe is good as a Chairman of AU-AFCTA Negotiation Committee but doubles responsibility in this matter will not spell clearly where his loyalty will be. Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe as Director General of Nigeria Office Trade Negotiation as a person is fantastic on the job but Nigeria needs a person to be responsible directly on the matter but Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe can support the Nigeria Negotiator during decision.

 

Dr Jacobs cited example saying “It is evident that Nigeria is not alone in the call for circumspection and consideration for due diligence before signing-on to the AfCFTA.  Experience from the Africa-Wide Multi-Stakeholder Consultation in Accra, Ghana

As part of the outcomes of the Africa-Wide Multi-Stakeholder Consultation among representatives of National Governments, Regional Commissions, including African Union Commission, Organised Private Sector Groups, Civil Society Organisations and Women centered Gender Organisations, organized by the Third World Network Africa and held in Accra, Ghana in June 2018, it was agreed as follows:

  • An enhanced role for the Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) in further negotiations of the protocols on Goods and Services as well as the proposed negotiations on other issues should be pursued. Additionally, national level consultations should be better structured and further strengthen for more effective input into role of the RECs;

 

  • Proper sequencing of the decisions on tariff concessions, and in particular the implementation, with national and regional policies and strategies so as to enable optimum benefits to African Countries and the citizens that drive the economies;

 

  • Need for proper studies at national and regional levels on some of the issues raised above and measures to guide negotiations;

 

  • An audit of the policies in place, especially in the area of services as well as the profile of service providers, national and foreign, African and non-African;

 

  • Need for better recognition and inclusion of informal trade in the negotiations;

 

  • Conscious and systematic provision of information to industry players and the general citizens on AfCFTA processes and substance by governments, the RECs and the AUC;

 

  • The necessity for a structured mechanism for the systematic and effective participation by all stake-holders, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the private sector and the RECs in further processes of the AfCFTA negotiation going forward. These mechanisms should operate from national, regional to continental levels, and should specially include the women’s groups, farmers, workers, small and medium enterprises, national and domestic producers and other strategic as well as more vulnerable socio-economic constituencies.

 

  • Generally, participants converged in opinion that there should be a pause in the pace of the AfCFTA agenda for stock-taking. The ambitious pace set by Heads of State and Government in 2012 to achieve AfCFTA by the indicative date of 2017 has already produced a number of hasty and inconsistent decisions. It is therefore important that before the next stages of the finalisation of the protocols, the trade policy measures in Africa at national, regional and continental levels should be assessed. This will ensure that the emergent AfCFTA would be properly aligned with Africa’s structural economic transformation. Consequently, It is important that African leaders should relax the whole processes and move to a future date, the August to September 2018 deadlines for tariff concessions, services offer and further negotiations on the protocols on investment, intellectual property and competition policy.

 

Dr Jacobs reiterated that MAN respect Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe as person and chief negotiator because Ambassador is a skillful person in this matter of AFCFTA but Nigeria needs a separate person to focus on Nigeria matters specifically because Nigeria has the largest market on the continent which they are targeting at.

“Therefore Nigeria should lead the process of ensuring that the above recommendations are implemented adding that Nigeria’s action will further demonstrate leadership of the country in the continent by ensuring that those relating to the sub-region and the continent and equally elevated to the level of the African Union for necessary implementation.”

 

MAN President reiterated that AfCFTA is a good project that will benefit Nigeria if properly negotiated; as it would expand Market Access for export of Nigerian products and improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.

 

However, he said, the starting point of an effective AfCTFA negotiation is the recommended studies, robust consultations and proper representation of manufacturing and the private sectors at all National and Continental AfCFTA negotiation meetings. This we believe would equip members of the Nigerian negotiating team with requisite data for the negotiations ahead, he added.

 

The Caption Photo: The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, President, Dr Frank Udemba Jacobs


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