AfCFTA: Don’t make Nigeria a dumping ground, CICAN tasks FG

The Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) has called on the federal government against making Nigeria a dumping ground as a result of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

CICAN also called for the support of all stakeholders towards repositioning the nation’s economy.

CICAN which gave the charge through it General Secretary, Mathew Ayoola in a press statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, urged government to take full advantage of AfCFTA towards ensuring growth and national economic development.

The statement also emphasized need for Nigeria to quickly diversify her economy through the export and promotion of local and agricultural commodities among other quality policies and initiatives stating that the conference would equally recommend to the authority ways of strategies to adopt in getting it right.

He also expressed concern over difficulties experienced by Small Scale Business owners as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It however, commended the various interventions of the federal government especially through MSME’s Survival Fund to cushion the devastating effect.

He said to tackle these, CICAN is set to hold it 2021 Annual Conference with the theme “The Role Of Nigeria’s MSMEs, Export, Commodities, Trade and Investment In Stabilizing The Post COVID 19 Economy: Issues and Challenges” and sub-themes: “The Place of AFCFTA in Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Plan: Pros & Cons”. 

“FG’s MSMEs Survival Fund: Successes, Lessons, Pitfalls” would be declared open by the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment.

He said dignitaries  to attend the conference include state governors, chief executives under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and other stakeholders.