“AfCTA is a game changer for Intra-African trade, and its success depends on robust collaboration between the custom officers, private sector and state parties’ implementation platforms”.
These were the words of Mr Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead , AfCFTA Nigeria Coordination Office who spoke recently at the Global Forum on Origin Interconnectivity which was held on the 3rd–4th February 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
Organized by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) with the support of the European Union under the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme, the forum brought together over 300 delegates, including customs officers, policymakers, trade experts, and private sector representatives from across the globe.
Discussions at the forum focused on key issues shaping rules of origin in international trade, including but not limited to conversations around Digitalization of origin procedures, Electronic Certificates of Origin (eCO), Data sharing and security on origin, Legal frameworks and business models for origin implementation
Speaking on the AfCFTA dimensions and its implementation Mr. Olusegun Olutayo, Senior Trade Expert and Lead, at the Coordination Office who represented the National Coordinator – Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, emphasized that understanding rules of origin is crucial for businesses to fully utilize the benefits of the agreement. The AfCFTA is a game changer for intra-African trade, and its success depends on robust collaboration between the Customs Officers, private sector and state parties’ implementation platforms.
The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office on its facebook page while reflecting on the forum in Belgium, commended the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ghana, led by H.E. Wamkele Mene, for its initiatives on origin interconnectivity.
A key outcome of Nigeria’s participation according the Facebook post was a strategic engagement with the EU-WCO Programmes HS and RoO Africa, Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate of the WCO exploring opportunities for collaborating on capacity building for Rules of Origin and related matters.
The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office restated its committed to enhancing trade facilitation and ensuring that Nigerian businesses are well-equipped to maximize the opportunities under the AfCFTA.
