News in Brief:
– Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker discussed with the WTO the challenges of aflatoxin contamination hindering African agricultural exports, particularly under AGOA benefits.
– The WTO Director-General acknowledged the issue and offered support for implementing protocols but stressed the need for Africa to diversify exports beyond primary products.
Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, met with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to discuss challenges faced by African exporters, particularly aflatoxin contamination in agricultural products.
The lawmaker disclosed that the meeting happened during the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentry Union (IPU) in Switzerland.
Kalu highlighted the difficulties African businesses encounter due to aflatoxin rejection upon reaching their export destinations, especially within the framework of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade benefits. He proposed establishing WTO-supported centers in Africa to treat primary products for export and meet quality standards.
Meantime, Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged the WTO’s awareness of this issue and expressed their willingness to assist countries in implementing relevant protocols. She reiterated the importance of diversification beyond primary products to achieve sustainable trade growth within Africa.
She stated that the WTO have been pushing for re-globalisation and that the organisation is trying to persuade supply chains of companies located outside Africa. The WTO boss stressed that the African business environment is a good place for economic development.
