Challenges of African Trade Integration

I have not seen any improvement. That's the truth.

We have 3 million tons of urea to export to

African countries. It's too much for Nigeria's consumption.

We have petroleum products to export. So we have too many things to export.

We have cement also to export.

What makes sense is to have the free trade agreement work.

But my own thinking is that, look, for

us to cross that hurdle,

because the trade between us is only about 16%, which

is too low. So we have to make sure that all the

regional markets, they have to work.

We have to remove these, uh, requirements of visas.

We have to allow free movement of people, free movement of, uh,

goods and services.

Then the AfCFTA will work.

Without that, it is almost impossible.

I mean, you look at it today, if I'm going to Africa,

I'm going to Egypt tomorrow,

but I need a visa. They are saying that, yes, okay, fine, they will give me

visa on arrival if I have an American visa.

I have a- an African passport. They are part and parcel of F-

AfCFTA. But they are saying that, no, uh,

well, if you have American visa, we'll give you.

So they are discounting me being an

African. So how do we trade if you are not allowing me

into your own country?

If we're not allowing Aliko Dangote into a country, then we've got big problems a-

across the continent.

We have. What I would have loved to see is to see a South African

coming to even get a job in Nigeria with, uh, with no hassle.

Because if we don't now integrate,

we will never, ever see what you call prosperity.

So the integration is very, very important.

If you remember, most countries, they used to have

ministry of integration.

I don't know what happened. Some of the countries,

they have actually dropped all

this, which doesn't make sense.