1.2bn market population: APBN tasks FG on AFCFTA implementation deal

Gloria Akudoro, Abuja

The Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), has tasked the Federal Government to ensure full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) deal do as  to accelerate Intra-African trade of goods and services within the region.

The APBN President, Surveyor aakinloye O. Oyegbola on Monday, during a briefing hosted by Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Abuja said that Nigeria as the continent’s largest economy, has a huge role to play in ensuring that AFCFTA deal comes to fruition.

According to him, “AFCFTA provides free movement of goods and services within the markets of the countries that are signatory to the agreement. Signatories to the deal have the opportunity of exploring the continent’s over 1.2billion potential markets.

“We emplore the FG to encourage Nigerian businesses and investors to leverage this deal to expand their business frontiers and enhance the nation’s economy,” he noted.

Surveyor Oyegbola urged the FG to use the services of Nigeria’s professionals to boost the economy of the country.

He said, “APBN boasts of an array of qualified professionals that can rub shoulders with their peers anywhere in the world and are well prepared for national assignments.”

He explained that APBN as a whole, is the umbrella association of recognized and chartered professional institutes, institutions, associations and societies in Nigeria, presently comprises 30 professional bodies which include; NSE, ICAN, IPAN, NBA, NIPA and NIOB among others. He added  that there are many notable professional bodies that are willing to be part of the APBN family.

The President  lamented  ENDSARS destruction of critical infrastructure, and said the nation has in recent time witnessed  an alarming  and targeted  associated destruction by faceless individuals which is not the best way to express grievance but only aggravates the decay in the state of the country’s infrastructure.

However, he encouraged individuals with whatever grievance to explore civil and legal avenues to solve problems