SESSION I (of the Round Table): What does AFCFTA Offer to African Ports after Three (03) Years of Implementation?
Session chair: Mr. Michael Luguje, Managing Director of Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Vice President/Africa Zone IAPH
During this session, four (04) key actors explained the progress made by AfCFTA in the past 03 years. These actors are:
– Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, Executive Secretary of the National Action Committee on AfCFTA,
– Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR dsm fnipr psc. Comptroller General of Customs, Nigeria,
– Mr. Lino Fiore , MD/CEO, Intels Nigeria,
The presentations recalled the importance of maritime navigation in the eight (08) areas of AfCFTA transformation agenda. Though the current intra-African trade stands at 16% of Africa’s global trade, the AfCFTA initiative rests on the hopes of exploiting the market size provided by 1.2 billion people living in Africa, as well as the combined GDP of three (03) trillion US Dollars. These expectations come with a number of implications for Customs, such as operational and procedural adjustments, administrative collaboration, and technological shifts.
For the last three years AfCFTA has conducted actions that are contributing to trade facilitation such as the harmonization of customs procedures, the implementation of digital procedures and standardized documentation. Efforts to activate Lagos – Abidjan trade corridor is ongoing.
Many companies in the like of Intel Limited are adjusting to offer port services that will enhance the facilitation of trade.
