Culled—Proshare
March 21, 2018/Africanews
Forty-four African countries have signed up to a historic trade agreement aimed at paving the way for a liberalized market for goods and services across the continent.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an agreement cast in the mold of the European Union’s version was signed during the 10th Ordinary Session of African Union Heads of State summit held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
The AfCFTA gives birth to the world’s largest free trade area since the World Trade Organization which was formed in 1995. A total of nineteen presidents were present whiles a number of Prime Ministers and government representatives also signed for their respective countries.
Final Tally:
1. #AfCFTA : 44 countries
2. Kigali Declaration: 43 countries
3. Protocol on Free Movement of People: 27 countries
In remarks on Tuesday during deliberations, host and current African Union (A.U.) president, Paul Kagame said: “This agreement is about trade in goods and services. These are the kinds of complex products that drive high income economies.”
Under the theme: “Creating One African Market,” the initiative falls under the Agenda 2063 of the A.U. According to estimates, if all 55 members states of the AU ratify it, the agreement will bring together 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 2 trillion US Dollars.
Countries and Signatories that have signed the #AfCFTA in Kigali
1.Niger – President Mahamadou Issoufou
2.Rwanda – President Paul Kagame
3.Tchad – President Idriss Déby
4.Angola – President João Lourenço
5.Central African Republic – President Faustin-Archange Touadéra
- Comoros – President Azali Assoumani
- The Republic of Congo – President Denis Sassou Nguesso
- Djibouti – President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
- Ghana – President Nana Akufo-Addo
- Gambia – President Adama Barrow
- Gabon – President Ali Bongo Ondimba
- Kenya – President Uhuru Kenyatta
- Mozambique – Filipe Nyusi
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic – President Mohamed Abdelaziz
- Senegal – Prresident Macky Sall
- South Africa – President Cyril Ramaphosa
- Sudan – President Omar al-Bashir
- Mauritania – President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
19.Zimbabwe – President Emmerson Mnangagwa
- Cote D’ivoire – Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan
21.Seychelles –Vincent Meriton – Vice President
- Algeria –Ahmed Ouyahia – Prime Minister
23.Equatorial Guinea – Francisco Pascual Obama Asue – Prime Minister
24.Lesotho – Tom Thabane – Prime Minister
- Morocco – Saadeddine Othmani – Prime Minister
- Swaziland – Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister
- Tanzania – Kassim Majaliwa, Prime Minister
28.Tunisia – Youssef Chahed, Prime Minister
29.Benin – Aurélien Agbénonci, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Burkina Faso – Alpha Barry, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Democratic Republic of Congo – Léonard Okitundu, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Guinea – Mamadi Touré, Foreign Affairs Minister
- Liberia – Gbehzohngar Findley, Foreign Affairs Minister
34.Mali – Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Somalia – Minister for Foreign Affairs
- South Sudan – Minister for Foreign Affairs
- Uganda – Sam Kutesa, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- São Tomé and Príncipe – Cabinet Minister
- Togo – Minister for Cooperation and Integration
- Malawi – Emmanuel Fabiano, Foreign Affairs Minister
- Cameroon – Finance Minister
42.Cape Verde –Tourism, Industry and Energy Minister
- Libya – Mohamed Taha Siala, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Madagascar – Henry Rabary Njaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Zambia* – Joe Malanji, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Egypt – Tarek Kabil, Trade & Industry Minister
- Mauritius – Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo, Foreign Affairs Minister
- Ethiopia – Bekele Bulado, Trade Trade
- Namibia* – Minister of Industrialization
- Botswana* – Minister for Trade
The failure to attend by Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari who leads Africa’s largest economy and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni had analysts worried. Ugandan Foreign Affairs minister attended and signed. Nigeria did not sign.
Analysts say Buhari may have caved under pressure from local labour unions and big corporations who have opposed the treaty saying it would harm the local economy
“If Nigeria does not join, it will have an impact definitely. Nigeria is 190 million population country, it’s a large economy. So we hope that Nigeria will not pull out of it.
“Nigeria had already been part of the process of building it, we think it’s just maybe one step back that they are taking to review,” Alpha Sy, an analyst said.