After serially missing crucial deadlines for joining other nations in trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria is to begin the formal export of locally produced commodities to South Africa, Rwanda, Cameroon and Kenya from next month under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), the Nigerian National Action Committee (NAC) of AfCFTA announced on Thursday.
The GTI, an interim arrangement designed to test the legal framework and Customs processes of participating state parties before the full implementation of the trade agreement, was officially launched on October 7, 2022, the date was missed by Nigeria.
Again, Nigeria missed the August 2023 trading date for the launch of the second phase of GTI, passing over the opportunity to join countries like Rwanda, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Tunisia, which have already commenced trading under the GTI.
