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AfCFTA: NCDMB seeks free visa to enhance trade

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has called for the removal of visa restrictions among African nations to enhance trade relationship. The Board is also seeking the creation of a database of available skills, as well as the simplification of cross border deployment of labour.

The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe made these recommendations in his keynote address delivered at the ongoing Nigerian Local Content AfCFTA Energy Summit organised by the Board in partnership with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), in Lagos.

Represented by the Director of Corporate Services, NCDMB, Ama Ikuru, the Executive Secretary stressed the need to unlock barriers that are inhibiting free intra-Africa trade. He also urged African leaders to create unified codes and standards for goods and services, as well as reforming the services sector so as to facilitate trade programmes.

He maintained that the board will continue to partner with stakeholders such as PETAN, the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), and other continental and regional bodies to position Nigerian oil service providers to take advantage of the big market opportunities that AfCFTA offers.

The Director of Monitoring and Evaluation of the board, Abdulmalik Halilu urged oil-producing countries to specialise in different manufacturing and service areas of the oil and gas industry and develop their competencies to the right specifications, so that they can trade among themselves.

Citing an example with the manufacturing of complex equipment where the critical components are produced by different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and assembled at a designated factory, Halilu explained that such a model would ensure that each African country developed a competitive advantage and could contribute effectively to the African oil and gas industry.

He disclosed that Nigeria had already completed two Oil and Gas Parks where manufactured components or services could be assembled at competitive costs. He stressed the need for close collaboration among African oil-producing countries as well as between African OEMs to enable the success of AfCFTA. He listed other critical factors as trade liberalisation, uniform standards, measurements, and enforcement tools.