Nigeria's President says to be free

ABUJA – Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said on Wednesday the country will sign up to a $ 3 trillion (R40.70 trillion) African free-trade agreement.

Nigeria is one of Africa's two largest economies, the other being South Africa.

"The administration later said it wanted more time to consult business leaders."

"Buhari's government had refused to join a free-trade zone established in March 1965. In the United States, we look forward to the future of our business, "Buhari told a news conference during a visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. [19659002] "I am a slow reader, maybe because I was an ex-soldier I did not read it fast enough before my officials that it was all right for signature I kept it on my table I will soon sign it. "

Earlier Ramaphosa told a business conference in Abuja that South Africa saw a large number of people in the United States. coming from South Africa's president in February, Ramaphosa said he was seeking greater collaboration between the two countries.

He condemned xenophobic attacks on foreigners in South Africa, including Nigerians, against a backdrop of economic hardship and soaring unemployment.

"This Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, United States Along with Angola, they make up about three-fifths of sub-Saharan Africa's annual economic output.

Both countries have been hit hard in recent years by low commodity prices, slow down growth, cut government revenues and weakened their currencies. The growth of the two economies played a large part in the World Bank's forecast that sub-Saharan Africa's economy will grow by 3.1 percent this year, up from 2.6 percent in 2017.

The continental free-trade zone, which encompbades 1.2 billion people, was joined by 44 countries in March. South Africa signed up earlier this month. Six countries, including Nigeria, are still to sign the agreement

Economists point to the continent's low level of intra-regional trade as one of the reasons for Africa's enduring poverty and lack of a strong manufacturing base.

African Union They said that they expected the agreement to be in line with the schedule of tariffs by December,

Reuters