Nine ECOWAS countries sign high-sea treaty

Nine out of 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries have signed a new high-seas treaty, with Nigeria coordinating efforts to designate protected marine areas.

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this at the high-level segment of the sixteenth meeting of the conference of parties to the convention on biological diversity held in Cali, Colombia.

He added that Nigeria is leading efforts with ECOWAS nations to implement the “30 by 30” initiative, aimed to protect 30 per cent of the region by 2030 from biodiversity loss.

The 30×30 is an ambitious plan, which arose out of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, to conserve 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters by 2030 in order to protect biodiversity and the climate.

Besides, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has facilitated the country’s first shipment to Kenya, with Lucky Fibres, a subsidiary of Tolaram Group, becoming one of the first companies to ship goods to Kenya under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).

In a statement issued yesterday by the Service, the Senior Trade Expert and Lead of Trade Enablement at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Olusegun Olutayo, noted that the shipment from Nigeria to Kenya, specifically to the port of Mombasa, demonstrates the collaborative spirit of AfCFTA.

Olutayo visited the Apapa Area Command on October 30 to ensure proper documentation and verification of the shipment, and emphasised the critical role of the service as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) under AfCFTA, leveraging its expertise to ensure seamless trade.

“The Nigeria Customs Service has been fantastic; they are ready to facilitate trade. Once they hear that there is an issue, particularly around AfCFTA, you will see everybody ready to support and facilitate it, which is the essence of true trade facilitation,” he stated.

The Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Olusola Salako, the releasing officer for Lilypond Export Command at Apapa Area Command, highlighted the service’s efforts to leverage technology to ensure the success of AfCFTA on the continent.