Onome Amuge
Ngozi Egbuna, Nigeria’s newly appointed World Trade Organisation (WTO) Chair, has positioned US President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariff increases not as a global setback, but as a strategic opening for African nations.
Speaking in Abuja, Egbuna, who also serves as the director of the International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research, argued that African economies should leverage their abundant natural resources to become a crucial alternative for global supply chains disrupted by the US-China trade dispute.
“While we are complaining that it’s unfair to some countries, some other people are seeing it as an advantage.Nigeria should take it as an advantage because we have a lot to offer,” Egbuna said, reflecting on recent discussions at a WTO Chairs Conference in Geneva.
Her remarks come as global markets navigate the fallout from President Trump’s announcement of higher duties on goods from several major economies.
To enhance Africa’s position, Egbuna called for a stronger focus on internal commerce, harnessing the continent’s 1.3-billion-person market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). She also urged countries to export as much as possible, what they have and what is available, targeting markets impacted by the shifting global trade dynamics.
Despite these opportunities,Egbuna acknowledged persistent obstacles hindering intra-African trade, drawing on her experience with the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI). She cited issues such as burdensome visa restrictions, logistical bottlenecks, and inadequate transport infrastructure.
However, she highlighted significant progress in financial integration, praising the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) platform, which allows countries to trade in their local currencies. “Practically every country is on the PAPS platform,” she noted.
As the WTO Chair for Nigeria, a four-year mandate focused on bridging the gap between academic research and industry, Egbuna detailed her upcoming initiatives. These include launching Nigeria’s first master’s programme in International Trade Law and Practice at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and hosting a conference to mark Nigeria’s 30-year membership in the WTO.
The celebration on August 13 will be followed by capacity-building workshops for lawmakers and state governments to sensitise Nigerians about the WTO and the fact that the WTO is not just about negotiation, as there is more to it.
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