By Onome Amuge
Nigeria has officially become a member of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), having completed membership procedures of the 2007 ICO agreement.
The development came after President Muhammadu Buhari ratified the agreement on Thursday, following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of Nigeria’s membership.
Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, who made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday, in Abuja, said that the Instrument of Ratification was prepared by Abubakar Malami, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation.
The statement noted that the FEC meeting had drawn a conclusion on the agreement on October 21, 2020, with emphasis on Conclusion 10, which approved the preparation of the Instrument of Ratification of Nigeria’s membership of the International Coffee Organisation and International Coffee Agreement of 2007.
According to Shehu, the 2007 Agreement will strengthen the ICO’s role as a forum for intergovernmental consultations, facilitate international trade through increased transparency and access to relevant information.
The president’s spokesman further said the agreement would promote a sustainable coffee economy for the benefit of all stakeholders, particularly small-scale farmers in coffee producing countries.
He added that the agreement is an important instrument for development cooperation, and will provide the legal framework for core activities undertaken by the organisation in future.
