By Mahdi Waziri Isa (News Editor)
A Distinguished Professor of Law and expert of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement Law, Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, has proposed a comprehensive 7-point agenda for the newly appointed Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.
The agenda is consistent with Nigeria’s constitutional and treaty obligations, especially the AfCFTA Agreement and its eight protocols on trade, investment, competition, intellectual property rights, digital trade, women and youth in trade.
Professor Ladan urged the Minister to request for annual reports on the level of implementation of each of the following national policies on trade and investment, with gaps identified, challenges, and prospects at both federal and state levels.
Secondly, the Minister should cause for the review of the draft national policies on industrialization and intellectual property rights, as well as the draft bill on intellectual property commission.
The Minister should strengthen the technical, material, human, and financial capacity of the new AfCFTA Agreement Implementation Coordination Office, the Directorate of trademarks, patents, and designs for optimal performance to enable them to tap into the multi billion dollars global digital, intellectual property and creative economy for the benefit of Nigeria and her hardworking entrepreneurial and creative citizens.
Fourthly, the Minister should promote professionalism in the specialized directorates with updates on monitoring and evaluation of the level of implementation of existing bilateral and multilateral treaties obligations on trade and investment.
The Minister should ensure a strategic plan of action on resource mobilization for update reform on ease of doing business, investment promotion, and trade facilitation for a globally competitive Nigeria and its private sector.
Professor Ladan also recommended partnering with relevant MDAs to generate a databank on treaties and agreements/protocols legally binding on Nigeria for effective programming and domestic implementation strategies.
Lastly, the Minister should engage the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs), and research institutions in a continuing dialogue on how best can Nigeria and her citizens, especially traders, investors MSMEs, women, and youth in trade, can maximally benefit from the AfCFTA agreement and its eight protocols.
The Seventh agenda is the Minister should ensure that she updates the plan of action on ease of doing business for MSMEs, women and youth including access to finance, relevant information and digital skills in trade consistent with Nigeria’s constitutional and treaty obligations.
The expert stressed that implementation of the above 7 points or prioritized agenda requires promotion of inclusivity, resources mobilisations and and partnership as well as capacity building for policy implementers, exporters, producers, business entities and regulatory agencies to contribute meaningfully to nations development and economic growth for the benefit of all.