BMO Commends Buhari for Signing AfCFTA
![](http://www.nta.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Buhari-sallah1.jpg)
The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has commended President
Muhammadu Buhari for signing the African Continental Free Trade
Agreement (AfCFTA) after exhaustive consultation with relevant
stakeholders in the country.
BMO made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday and signed
by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke.
AfCFTA is a trade agreement with the goal of creating a single
continental market followed by free movement of goods, people and an
African single currency union.
According to the group, Buhari has enabled a convergence of opinions among diverse stakeholders on the necessity of the AfCFTA,
It stated that If properly operationalised, the agreement will benefit
Nigeria in numerous ways being the largest economy in Africa as well as
the continent’s biggest market.
“Nigeria is as important to the AfCFTA as the United Kingdom is to the
European Union (EU). Being the largest market and largest economy in
Africa, the free trade agreement will open the borders of 51 subscribing
countries to the agreement to product and services originating from
Nigeria.
“We also note the sense of patriotism with which President Buhari has
continued to engage the realisation of the African Continental Free
Trade Agreement.
“Especially in relation to obvious concerns over dumping and smuggling
of third party countries’ products and services masquerading as
emanating from AfCFTA participating countries,” it said.
According to the group, BMO vigorously supports Buhari’s advocacy on
fair trade in the bid to discourage other participating African
countries from using their jurisdiction as points of illegal access to
Nigeria’s huge market to the detriment of the country’s domestic
manufacturers and service providers.
“Buhari has declared that he desires free trade in the goods produced by Africans in Africa.
“The president has insisted on the application of the ‘rules of origin’
to ensure that only products that are manufactured with over 80 percent
of raw materials sourced within the continent qualify for trade within
the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“Without doubt, the AfCFTA holds a lot of promise for Nigerians. These
include access to a single market of more than 1.2 billion people,
increased industrial and manufacturing capacities and rapid job
creation,” it said.
The group urged Nigerians to lock-in into the huge potentials offered by
the African Continental Free Trade Agreement for development networking
opportunities across the African continent.
However, BMO has lauded the recent success recorded by security
operatives in cracking high profile cases in the country are proofs of
better coordination and cooperation among the security agencies.
The group attributed the rescue of the Daura District Head, Musa Usman
and the arrest of his abductors as well as the arrest of those behind
the murder of former Chief of Defence staff Air Chief Retired Marshal
Alex Badeh, to the achievements recorded by security agencies.
“This is further proof that the capacity of security agencies, especially that of the police has improved tremendously.
“We have all seen how the police, within one week, rescued the District
Head from the claws of his abductors after two months in captivity, and
also paraded the people who killed the former CDS along the Abuja-Keffi
highway in December last year.
“It is also commendable the manner that Alhaji Usman who is the
father-in-law of President Buhari’s Aide De Camp (ADC), Col. Mohammed
Abubakar was rescued by a police team after a two hour gun battle in
Kano,” it said. (NAN)