SAN FRANCISCO, June 05, (THEWILL) – Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that Nigeria will continue consultations within the country regarding its stance on the Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA, between ECOWAS and the European Union.
Speaking at the end of the 49th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which took place in Dakar, Senegal, this weekend, where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo stated that Nigeria cannot be committed to such an agreement without wide consultations.
“There are ongoing negotiations on it. We are discussing with the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) and some other key economic players about it,” he said at the just concluded Dakar meeting of West African leaders.
“We understand some of the terms of this agreement are capable of restricting their-manufacturers-trading activities and we would not want this to happen.
“It is equally important that as we make the decision, we take into consideration the concerns of these critical stakeholders and tread cautiously.”
While a number of West African nations have endorsed the deal, a few including Nigeria have raised issues regarding the implications of the deal, being championed by the European Union.
The EPA is a free trade deal that had been initiated by EU and ECOWAS negotiators covering trade in goods and development cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Vice President also restated Nigeria’s constant commitment and obligations to the regional body having recently paid its dues.
This is coming against the background of worries that some of the members of the body are not up-to-date in their financial obligations, with a call raised at the Dakar summit for such nations to do so.
Presidents, Prime Ministers and very top officials from the 16 ECOWAS members gathered in Dakar over the weekend to deliberate on important issues. The summit also witnessed the swearing-in of the new ECOWAS commission President, Mr. Marcel A. de Souza.
According to Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, the meeting also featured commendations from ECOWAS leaders to the Nigerian President and the nation on the progress recorded by the country against terrorists.
At the end of the summit, Liberian President Ms. Ellen Sirleaf Johnson was chosen as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government taking over from her Senegalese counterpart Mr. Macky Sall.
