Gbenga Sokefun: A champion, dependable standing tall in promoting African continental trade
With his first degree in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), an LLM in International Law at the Washington College of Law, American University in Washington DC, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the same university, Gbenga Sokefun, the Managing Director at Nigerian Ropes PLC, has a remarkable personality and pragmatic approach to key things in life.
His natural talent and desire are well demonstrated in his compelling business acumen in operational management, strategic business growth with a deep bias for international trade. Prime on his mind is the preparedness of Nigeria to take full advantage of the African Continental Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) – the largest trade agreement since the creation of the WTO. This is an agreement that a continental market of 1.2billion people of precolonial historical trade footprints.
Sokefun’s belief in the success of the AFCFTA signed by the Nigerian government is very real. In a recent BBC documentary interview, the Nigerian Ropes’ boss noted that, “The continental trade agreement should be used to encourage African countries to expedite infrastructure development, especially that of the logistics landscape to prepare the company for the activities of the intra-historical African trade.”
He spoke further that “having traded across Africa on carmel and horseback efficiently during the precolonial era, Africa should wake up and create a new age infrastructure plan to resume this trade that was converted to a selfish drain to Europe. There should be an infrastructure development framework that each participating country would adhere to and jointly pay for.
“The framework should give set timelines for each country within the trade block to complete its allocated share of the requisite infrastructure for the full implementation of the trade regime,” he added.
Sokefun called for careful negotiation of the anti-dumping guidelines to avoid Nigeria falling into hidden dumping traps that could seriously threaten local industries.
In his words, “Whilst we anticipate the ingenious benefits of the AFCFTA, we cannot jump into it prematurely. We as a nation should prepare our industries for the coming boom. If we do not, our Nigerian industries may be threatened by the influx of competing goods produced in countries with lower production costs.”
He advised that the “legal framework for dispute resolution should really be given proper thought and deep attention.
Expectedly, his company, Nigerian Ropes is aggressively restructuring its systems in preparation to take advantage of AFCFTA that would “provide inclusivity and sustainable development” across the continent. One of such is training a bilingual sales team capable of rising above the language barriers that could create problems when the regime is in full operation.
Established sixty years ago, Nigerian Ropes PLC is a leading indigenous company focused on manufacturing ropes and cordage technology. Having built a strong reputation for quality and unique customer service, its services cover oil and gas, maritime, energy and construction sectors.
