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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Sunday, said the state is set to become a hub for intra-African trade.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan, the state capital, said the governor stated this at the 2024 Prosperity Africa Conference, themed: “Driving Trade, Innovation, and Sustainability for Prosperity,” held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Makinde, who stressed the state’s readiness to embrace the future that the African Continental Free Trade Area promised, also noted that with its strategic location in Nigeria, its agricultural powerhouse and its emerging industrial sectors, the state had the potential to become a critical player in intra-African trade.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, the governor said the state was aware that as a sub-national in Nigeria, it could leverage AfCFTA to drive growth, foster innovation, and create prosperity.
He added that the state had been working to position itself for African trade, saying that his government was aware that capitalising on AfCFTA required active engagement, strategic planning, and collaboration with both national and regional partners.
“I do not see AfCFTA as a trade agreement; I see it as a transformative agenda aimed at reshaping Africa’s economic landscape. For sub-national governments like Oyo State, this is a great opportunity.
“AfCFTA promises to remove barriers, expand trade, and ultimately foster industrial growth, competitiveness, and prosperity. But the question is: how can we, as sub-national governments, strategically position ourselves to take full advantage of this agreement?
“Oyo State, with its strategic location in Nigeria’s southwest, an agricultural powerhouse, and its emerging industrial sectors, has the potential to be a critical player in intra-African trade. We are already working to position ourselves for African trade.
“Nigeria and its sub-nationals, such as Oyo, face significant barriers that limit their full participation, including bureaucratic customs procedures, infrastructure deficits in transport and logistics networks and non-tariff barriers,” he said.
The governor noted, however, that the state had been addressing the challenges by working on reducing bottlenecks and collaborating with federal authorities to streamline the customs procedures, reduce infrastructure deficit, interconnect all zones of the state and push for stronger alignment between federal and regional regulatory frameworks to address the non-tariff barriers.
“By having a one-stop shop within the state Investment and Public Private Partnership Agency to deal with approvals necessary for smooth movement of goods in and out of the state, we have ensured smoother trade routes that align with the AfCFTA standards.
“Another critical barrier is our infrastructure deficits in transport and logistics networks. Without reliable transport routes, goods cannot move efficiently across borders, limiting our ability to participate in trade.
“However, we are committed to upgrading road networks, developing rail links, and investing in energy infrastructure to support the free flow of goods across West Africa,” he added.
The governor said AfCFTA offered opportunities, which the state was willing to tap into, noting that the state was setting up a dedicated desk for AfCFTA-related opportunities so that small and medium-scale enterprises, which are the backbone of the state’s economy, could access the African markets.
He equally noted that the state had invested heavily in agribusiness development, having realised that it could turn its raw agricultural products into high-value exports that met AfCFTA’s needs.
“Presently, we have rehabilitated the once moribund Fasola Livestock Settlement, which we have renamed the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, where we have processing facilities for cassava, dairy and tomatoes. AfCFTA allows us to tap into regional markets that value our agricultural outputs.
“Finally, we are building frameworks for public-private partnerships to attract investments that will accelerate the development of necessary infrastructure, particularly transportation and logistics.
“Collaborating with domestic and foreign investors fast tracks infrastructure development and creates the enabling environment for businesses to thrive under AfCFTA,” Makinde added.
