By Iyabo Adebisi
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, says that the state’s vision of unlocking prosperity, creating employment and boosting trade volume is well on course with the launch of the Oyo State African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Sub-national implementation strategy.
Governor Makinde said this during a post-engagement meeting on the AfCFTA implementation, held at the Local Government Service Commission Training School, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
While declaring that the launch of the strategy would enhance the administration’s agenda for the state’s sustainable development, the governor stated that his government would like to be remembered as one that put in place institutions and structures to enable the state’s smooth transition into the future.
According to the governor, his administration became emboldened to engage in the agreement given the sheer size and population of the state and the huge investments it has made in infrastructure development, noting that the agreement would culminate in massive employment creation, opportunities for entrepreneurs, business owners and boosting of trade volumes.
The governor also explained that his administration has not only been investing in rebuilding infrastructure and implementing policies that improve the standard of living for residents today, but it has also saved approximately $6 million in the Sovereign Wealth Fund it established a few months ago, with a focus on the state’s future.
He noted that knowledge and productivity must be combined with natural resources to take any state or country out of poverty, the governor hailed the state’s venture into AfCFTA as the first sub-national, saying it formed part of institutional initiatives that will shape the future of the state.
The governor appreciated the AfCFTA technical working group led by his Special Adviser on AfCFTA and International Trade, Ms Neo Theodore Tlhaselo, saying: “Let me say thank you to the team and the AfCFTA. You have done really well on behalf of our state and your thoughts and diligence, dedication will not go unrewarded.
Speaking further, the governor stated that Oyo State has areas of competitive advantage, which it would go after in its implementation of the AfCFTA strategy.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the governor on AfCFTA and International Trade, Ms Neo Tlhaselo, appreciated the governor for his effort in making Oyo State the first sub-national, not just in Nigeria, but in the entire African continent, to sign on to the agreement.
She explained that the post-launch engagement is a statutory administrative process that follows the launch of the implementation strategy, which pronounced the state as a party to the AfCFTA to engage within the African continent on the agreement’s framework.
Tlhaselo added that the implementation strategy is a legal instrument that would allow Oyo State to engage with other states globally in trading with access to bilateral relations and international trade agreements, thereby positioning it as an able partner to many African countries.
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