By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has received members of the National Action Committee, led by Mr. Olusegun O...
By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has received members of the National Action Committee, led by Mr. Olusegun Olutoya, of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on a visit to the Government House, Dutse.
The aim of the visit was to forge a partnership between the administration of the governor and the AfCFTA, which was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement signed by member-states of the African Union, in a bid to boost economic activities and intra-continental trade.
Speaking, Mr. Olutoya lamented the deficit of economic transactions among African countries and the heavy reliance of African manufacturers on imports from non-African countries when such imports, mainly agricultural products, could be harvested here to strengthen local production. He pointed out Jigawa as a state with the potential to collaborate with the AfCFTA and upscale agricultural produce exports, especially wheat, soya beans and hibiscus, to other African countries in high demand. Mr. Olutoya also praised the administration of Governor Umar Namadi for being the first subnational government to proactively reach out to the AfCFTA.
Responding, Mallam Umar Namadi drew the attention of the National Action Committee to the need for equal participation of both big and small companies, saying the best and quickest way to move the economy forward would be to carry along Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He further stressed the importance that his administration attached to poverty elimination, wealth creation and introduction of creative and innovative programmes for the actualisation of economic diversification. He mentioned, as an example, his recent trip with other northern governors to the United States of America, saying that they did not go there for peace talk only but also for business as he was able to secure a deal with John Deere and TATA for Jigawa to purchase y 300 modern tractors as part of his Agricultural Revolution agenda.
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