At the initiative of the General Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Côte d'Ivoire participated in the meetings involving the Ministries responsible for Trade of the five countries along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor. The discussions were held on 16 and 17 September 2021 at the Hôtel 2 Février in Lomé, focusing on trade facilitation and reforms aimed at improving customs processes.
Representing Mr. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Trade and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire, was Mr. Albert Kouatelay, Deputy Director of Cabinet, who led the Ivorian delegation. He was accompanied by Mr. Issa Ouattara, Deputy Director General of Ivorian Customs, Colonel Gnaka Charles, Head of the Customs Prosecution Office, and Fatoumata Fofana, Executive Secretary of the AfCFTA National Committee (AfCFTA-NC).
The preparatory meeting brought together experts and customs directors-general from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria to analyze challenges along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor. This analysis aimed at identifying concrete actions and solutions for the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.
According to Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, developing African trade corridors is a strategic priority for boosting intra-African trade significantly.
The Abidjan-Lagos corridor is a vital economic artery for the socio-economic progress of the West African sub-region. These meetings focused on devising strategies and urging States to adopt strong recommendations to remove tariff barriers, streamline trade, and enhance customs transit facilitation.
The meeting of trade ministers, which endorsed the experts' recommendations, was chaired by Mr.Kokou Adedze, Togolese Minister for Trade and Local Consumption, representing Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé.
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