The AfCFTA-NC Executive Secretariat participated in the 5th National Partnership Day 2021, held on Monday, 08 November 2021, at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel. This event, under the patronage of Prime Minister His Excellency Patrick Achi, was themed:
"State/Private Sector Partnership to achieve the 2030 vision for the development of Côte d'Ivoire."
Ms. Fatoumata Fofana, Executive Secretary of the AfCFTA-NC, co-hosted a thematic workshop prior to the official opening ceremony, which was attended by several members of the Ivorian government, including Mr. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Trade and Industry, and the Minister of Economy and Finance.
The workshop theme was:
"African economic integration, what opportunities with the AfCFTA in vision 2030?"
The event featured a panel of experts, including Ms Fatoumata Fofana, Mr.Gérard Amangoua, Deputy Director of APEX-CI (Association for the Promotion of Exports of Côte d'Ivoire), and the representative of the Minister for African Integration.
During the workshop, Ms Fatoumata Fofana provided the private and public sector stakeholders present with an overview of the objectives and mechanisms established by the African Continental Free Trade Area to facilitate economic integration across Africa.
She also emphasized the major issues and challenges Africans face for the effective implementation of the agreement. In addition to discussing these challenges, Ms Fofana outlined the national-level implementation strategy, a situational analysis, and the opportunities provided by the AfCFTA for economic integration by 2030, aligning with the National Development Programme. She encouraged private sector actors to adopt a more participatory approach to the AfCFTA.
Mr.Gérard Amangoua, Deputy Director of APEX-CI, called on the private sector