• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Saturday, May 31, 2025
  • Login
Vital News
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
Vital News
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

AfCFTA: We have received £36m grant for Abidjan-Lagos corridor – Mene

Vital News by Vital News
June 4, 2022
in Business
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Raji Rasak/ Chiazo Ogbolu

Lagos – Mr Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, said the secretariat had received a grant commitment of £36 million from the United Kingdom Government for Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

Mene said this during a visit to the Seme-Karke joint border post on Friday.

He said that the grant would be used to address infrastructural challenges on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

Mene said that the African Development Bank (AfDB) was also involved in raising funds for infrastructure to make it easier for movement of goods from one country to the other.

RelatedStories

Dangote Cement Rewards Distributors, Customers With CNG-Trucks, N11billion Cash At Awards Nite

Brand Africa : Dangote Beats MTN, DSTV, AZAM To Emerge Most Admired African Brand

At TIME100 Impact Dinner, Dangote Pledges More Investments To Uplift Vulnerable Populations

Food Security : Dangote Building Nigeria’s Largest Rice Mill In Niger, Backs Food Initiative

He, however, noted that they would focus on equipment that would ensure productivity and efficiency of transit goods .

“When I went to a port in Mombasa, they showed me a control room that is digitised for the entire East Africa community, they have equipment that help them to access what is in the truck that is moving from Kampala to port in Mombasa.

“So the officer in the control room with a click of a button will see what is in the truck.They did not pay for this with their own money, they mobilised resources,” Mene said.

He said that the secretariat would continue mobilise resources to solve the infrastructural challenges within the corridor.

“The intervention will include interconnectivity. It may appear as if it is an insurmountable barrier but let us look at what others did and improve on the system they introduced and address these challenges,” he said.

Mene said that with the resources being mobilised, the secretariat, would deploy similar system within the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.

“That is why we said to the British Government that the grant they made available will be used to address infrastructural needs along the corridor.

“We are also working with the Afreximbank to see what intervention and trade facilitation facility they can make available so that we don’t rely on the British alone.

“We want to take an integrated approach by mobilising those we can influence to bring their resources so that what happened in East Africa can happen here,” he said.

Mene said that they were also in discussion with the commissioner for trade in ECOWAS.

He noted that they want to compliment the work they had done to achieve the desired result.

On transit, Mene said that the agreement establishing the AfCFTA had rules on transit, customs procedures, harmonisation as well as trade facilitation.

He said that the rules were very clear.

“It is not in anybody’s interest to impose additional charges on goods that are on transit because it will not make trade competitive and it will make people think twice about transiting their goods through the corridor.

“I am very happy to hear that the illegal checkpoints are being addressed, all officers along the corridor should be grilled to ensure that such does not exist again,” Mene said.

He said that they would work with the Customs to address the challenges, noting that it would not happen overnight.

“It took the East Africa community about 10 years to reach this level of competitiveness where goods can leave the containership and arrive in Kampala in less then there days.

“And in 10 years time, the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, will be the best performing corridor in the African continent,” he said.

Also speaking, Comptroller Mohammed Jibo of Seme Command, said that interconnectivty gap was the major issue limiting trade facilitation.

Jibo said that some of the equipment that would enhance connectivity were lying fallow in the command.

“Goods on transit into Nigeria are mandated to pay heavy duty and this does not encourage trade on the corridor, multiplicity of checkpoint and dwell time given to Nigerian containers is not fair,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Frank Matsaert, the Chief Executive Officer, Trade Mark Africa, contractor in charge of assessing the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, listed key findings that should be followed up as infrastructure, interconnectivity gaps and limited connectivity.

Matsaert said that others were high trade cost, logistics-capacity and professionalism; informal trade highly complex, lack of cross border traders awareness, security concerns and limited corridor approach.

He said that implementing the road map for the corridor would take three phases; phase one would take one to two years; phase two; three to five years and phase three, four to seven years. (NAN/vitalnews)

Tags: AbidjangrantLagosMeme
Previous Post

98 Immigration Officers elevated to new ranks

Next Post

988,923 voters to participate in June 18 Ekiti governorship election

Vital News

Vital News

RelatedStories

Dangote Cement Rewards Distributors, Customers With CNG-Trucks, N11billion Cash At Awards Nite
Business

Dangote Cement Rewards Distributors, Customers With CNG-Trucks, N11billion Cash At Awards Nite

May 28, 2025
Brand Africa : Dangote Beats MTN, DSTV, AZAM To Emerge Most Admired African Brand
Business

Brand Africa : Dangote Beats MTN, DSTV, AZAM To Emerge Most Admired African Brand

May 25, 2025
At TIME100 Impact Dinner,  Dangote Pledges More Investments To Uplift Vulnerable Populations
Business

At TIME100 Impact Dinner, Dangote Pledges More Investments To Uplift Vulnerable Populations

May 23, 2025
Food Security : Dangote Building Nigeria’s Largest Rice Mill In Niger, Backs Food Initiative
Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral

Food Security : Dangote Building Nigeria’s Largest Rice Mill In Niger, Backs Food Initiative

May 23, 2025
Ododo, Minister, Other Stakeholders Laud Kogi’s Groundbreaking Annual Media Repor
Business

Kogi Resolves Tax Dispute With MTN

May 22, 2025
Next Post

988,923 voters to participate in June 18 Ekiti governorship election

FG says gas plant shutdown responsible for current poor power supply

10 Northern APC governors back Southern presidential candidate

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Recommended

Manslaughter : Appeal Court Discharges, Acquits Maj. Akeem Oseni

3 years ago
I-CSPJ Condemns Closure Of AIT/RayPower FM In Port Harcourt, Says Action Unacceptable

I-CSPJ Condemns Closure Of AIT/RayPower FM In Port Harcourt, Says Action Unacceptable

2 years ago
Ododo committed To Media Training For Effective Public Policy Communication  – Spokesman

Ododo committed To Media Training For Effective Public Policy Communication – Spokesman

4 months ago
150-Year History Of The Political Lords Of Lagos : From Sapara Williams To Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Yahaya Bello Celebrates Tinubu At 71

2 years ago

Instagram

    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

Topics

Abiodun Abuja APC arrest Atiku Bandits Bello Benue Buhari CBN Court Dangote death drugs Economy EFCC Election elections FG Fraud gunmen Hajj INEC Kano kidnap Kill Kogi Kwara Lagos NDLEA Niger Nigeria Ododo Ogun Oyo PDP Police Power refinery rescue road Security Senate students Tinubu
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

NGF Expresses Sympathy, Solidarity As Flood Devastates Mokwa Community In Niger State

21 Die, 10 Missing In Niger Flood Disaster

Sidi Ould Tah Elected New President Of AfDB

President Tinubu Appoints Former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara As Chairman Of NCGC

Midterm Performance : Taraba State Rated Least In IGR, Good Governance

School Wall Collapses On Students Writing WAEC In Taraba

Trending

Death Toll From Niger Flood Disaster Rises To 115,  Many Still Missing – NSEMA
Environment

Death Toll From Niger Flood Disaster Rises To 115, Many Still Missing – NSEMA

by Vital News
May 30, 2025
0

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) says death toll from the flood disaster that recently ravaged...

INEC Fixes July 20 And  August 8, 2026 For Ekiti, Osun Governorship Elections

INEC Fixes July 20 And August 8, 2026 For Ekiti, Osun Governorship Elections

May 30, 2025
Kwara Community Unites Against Female Genital Mutilation, Declares Zero Tolerance

Kwara Community Unites Against Female Genital Mutilation, Declares Zero Tolerance

May 30, 2025
NGF Expresses Sympathy, Solidarity As Flood Devastates Mokwa Community In Niger State

NGF Expresses Sympathy, Solidarity As Flood Devastates Mokwa Community In Niger State

May 30, 2025
21 Die, 10 Missing In Niger Flood Disaster

21 Die, 10 Missing In Niger Flood Disaster

May 29, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Vital News

Vital News is an online newspaper with a mission to uphold professional journalism by reporting and publishing only facts and figures-based news reports across Nigeria and beyond.

Recent News

  • Death Toll From Niger Flood Disaster Rises To 115, Many Still Missing – NSEMA May 30, 2025
  • INEC Fixes July 20 And August 8, 2026 For Ekiti, Osun Governorship Elections May 30, 2025
  • Kwara Community Unites Against Female Genital Mutilation, Declares Zero Tolerance May 30, 2025

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

© 2022 Vital News - . All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security

© 2022 Vital News - Vital News by Vital News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In