AfCFTA lifts bust to honor former Nigerian leader

Former Nigerien leader Mahamadou Issoufou was honored for his outstanding contribution to the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) during a ceremony in Accra on Friday.

To this end, a bust of Mr. Issoufou, who defended the agenda of the AfCFTA, when he was President of the Union (AU), was unveiled by President Nana Akufo-Addo on the forecourt of the World Trade Center d’Accra, which houses the AfCFTA. Secretariat.

Issoufou, 69, became last March the sixth recipient of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for the achievement of African leadership. The award recognizes and celebrates excellence in African leadership.

During a ceremony attended by several African leaders including Congolese Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, Burkinabé President Christian Kaboré, Nigerien Mohamed Bazoum, President Akufo-Addo celebrated the invaluable contribution of Mr. Issoufou to the birth of the historic and strategic ZLECAf. .

He said that thanks to Mr. Issoufou’s work, the continent is now accelerating intra-African trade and strengthening Africa’s trade position in the world market.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of President Issoufou, we have made great progress in achieving the Africa we want.

The president said the AfCFTA, which strengthens Africa’s common voice in global trade negotiations, would have ripple effects in the lives of all Africans.

With a population of 1.2 billion and a combined GDP of $ 3.5 trillion, he said the AfCFTA represented a unique opportunity for the continent’s economic transformation.

President Akufo-Addo congratulated former President Issoufou for ensuring that the process of obtaining a host city is fair and transparent.

“Ghanaians are grateful to the AU under his leadership for being selected,” he said.

AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene described former President Issoufou as a true son of Africa who helped advance the ideals of Pan-Africanism

“As we celebrate the progress made under the leadership of President Mahadou, let’s not doubt that a lot of work remains to be done in the implementation of the AfCFTA”

“There will be challenges which may seem insurmountable, it is at this point that we must redouble our determination to move forward with the economic integration of our continent,” he said.