NACCIMA: AfCFTA Provides Opportunity for Nigeria to Dominate Africa

The leadership of the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has challenged Nigerian businesses to shed the toga of fear of Nigerian becoming a dumping ground and step out boldly to compete and dominate African economy with the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. This challenge was given recently, during the inaugural press conference of the new President of the NACCIMA, Mr. John C, Udeagbala, who stated that competition under the AfCFTA would strengthen Nigerian businesses rather than and drowning them.

Udeagbala said: “I want to be very honest with you as I will be speaking as an industrialist.

Initially, I entertained fears as a manufacturer about Nigeria becoming a dumping market knowing the state of our infrastructure, especially power.

“That was my personal fear. But if we do not join the train at the station it is going to leave us behind. African trade has been going on before now and if you go to Ghana and other countries you will see a lot of trucks moving in from Nigeria with goods.

“For instance, shoes and leather products that are made in Aba go as far as Guinea, Gambia, and Cameroon. So, I believe that it is better that we go into the competition. It will strengthen us.”

Udeagbala also said NACCIMA under his leadership would focus on strengthening the collaboration between the private sector and the National Assembly, federal and state governments and pursue the effective implementation of the AfCFTA agreement.

Other areas of focus, according to him, would be the creative sector, harnessing technology and digital ecosystem, enhancing gender and youth empowerment as well as strengthening the collaboration between the private sector, diplomatic missions and development agencies. He also pledged to champion the creation of “enabling environment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with a focus on business and capacity developments in the areas of agriculture, industry and services.” Speaking in the same vein, the First Deputy President of NACCIMA, Mr. Dele K. Oye, said that Nigeria has nothing to lose as the country’s manufactured goods have been competing fairly in the African market even before the commencement of AfCFTA.