Africa is on the verge of forming the largest free trade area since the World Trade Organization

[EdJo]

Well, i love the concept and was really happy with the news. But these buffoons love to talk and sign a lot shyt, just to do nothing later.

Right now, i only see Kagame doing something concrete for his country.

Then we have the cases of Namibia and Botswana, who are doing really well, due to the conservation of their infrastructures.

But the rest...Forget it.

You have countries in Africa that produce NOTHING...What are they going to trade? Imagination?

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Buhari and his trade advisors were afraid that Nigeria would become a 'dumping ground' for finished goods.

 

[Trajan]

Putting the cart before horse. Many of those govts are barely in control of their countries. They have first need to implement free trade inside their own countries lol.

 

[DrBanneker]

Well good start but unless this is combined with tariff barriers by the AU countries against the US, EU, China, and India it is just going to cause fraudulent country of origin products to flood Africa from the Far East worse than now. Nigeria has long had a problem with importers disguising Chinese textiles as Nigerian. But there needs to be an infrastructure, banking/credit, and industrial plan to accompany this. Also, SA and Ethiopia could potentially put a lot of small farmers out of business like the US did Mexico. I am optimistic though if it can help African manufacturers.

 

[#1 pick]

I like the concept. The problem is the issue expressed at the end of the article. I can foresee Chinese goods flooding the market via their already established tentacles and furthers suppressing local markets. Internal Nigerian industries can hardly sustain their own economies, let alone the entire continent.

I simply don't think Africa's infrastructure is ready to really maximize the effect of such an agreement. More focus should be done in improving the local ammenities of Africa and solidifying local industries.

If I am Buhari, I am snubbing this too and I don't even like him. Africa isn't in the position needed to make this work. I still think AU needs to focus on ending the ability to move freely from country to country more than anything else.

 

[thatrapsfan]

Putting the cart before horse. Many of those govts are barely in control of their countries. They have first need to implement free trade inside their own countries lol.

Its a start, the pessimism isnt entirely warranted. Anything that boosts intra-African trade should be encouraged.

Even modest steps like the EAC have shown they can have an effect:

Worth celebrating

 

[thatrapsfan]

If I am Buhari, I am snubbing this too and I don't even like him. Africa isn't in the position needed to make this work. I still think AU needs to focus on ending the ability to move freely from country to country more than anything else.

Ending free movement? Are you saying there is continent-wide free movement as it stands ?

 

[Cynic]

If I am Buhari, I am snubbing this too and I don't even like him. Africa isn't in the position needed to make this work. I still think AU needs to focus on ending the ability to move freely from country to country more than anything else.

It should be regional ... I personally don’t want Boko Haram offshoots in Southern Africa or those Mogadishu n!ggas down there neither.

 

[Neuromancer]

Weren't they also proposing a unified currency?

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

It should be regional ... I personally don’t want Boko Haram offshoots in Southern Africa or those Mogadishu n!ggas down there neither.

 

[Max B]

It should be regional ... I personally don’t want Boko Haram offshoots in Southern Africa or those Mogadishu n!ggas down there neither.

I don't blame you them Mogadishu nikkas are wild and very uncivilized people