Captain Sunday Umoren is the Secretary General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control. In this interview with newsmen, he speaks on the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as sundry regional shipping and maritime issues. TOLA ADENUBI brings the excerpts.
Can you share your perspective on the importance of maritime transportation for the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?
The AfCFTA presents a remarkable platform to revitalize intra-African trade, which has been nearly nonexistent. Trade thrives when goods can be effectively moved from sellers to consumers, and Africa is fortunate to have various transportation options. However, with 38 littoral countries, 13 million square kilometers of Exclusive Economic Zones, and over 47,000 km of coastline, maritime transportation holds tremendous potentials to facilitate trade and regional integration across the continent. Let’s ask ourselves a rhetorical question: Can AfCFTA…
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