Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has urged all relevant stakeholders in West Africa to take advantage of all areas of collaboration to boost productivity.
Tuggar made the call on Saturday in Abuja during a first-round table meeting with Cote D”Ivoire.
Represented by the Director, Economic Trade and Investment Department, Bolaji Akinremi, the minister pointed out that it was critical to harmonize all ECOWAS rules to enhance production in the subregion.
At the round table and expo, organised by the federal government in collaboration with the Organised Private Sector, the minister posited that the subregion must unite.
”We need to talk to ourselves, we also need to have synergy among ourselves.
“If we are going to have productivity, then we must harmonize all regulations.
“ECOWAS has been working on ETLs but it’s really not working. We must make it to work.
“The Africa Continental Free Trade is here. Yet our industries are not keyed into it. We need to get the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) to be in tandem with NACCIMA.”
Tuggar explained that the federal government must adopt a determined programme to train Nigerians in other foreign languages, especially since Nigeria is surrounded by other languages and cannot afford to be average.
He stressed that that Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire should collaborate on value addition, notably in cashew and cocoa production, given the two countries produce nearly identical products.
Counsellor of Trade Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Cote D’Ivoire in Nigeria, Abre Martin, asserted that his country was delighted to collaborate with various ministries in Nigeria to strengthen growth and development.
