Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for stronger economic cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana, including the removal of trade barriers and the establishment of a common currency for the British West African sub-region. AbdulRazaq made the call on Monday while receiving Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who was represented…...
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for stronger economic cooperation between Nigeria and Ghana, including the removal of trade barriers and the establishment of a common currency for the British West African sub-region.
AbdulRazaq made the call on Monday while receiving Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah, during a courtesy visit to Ahmadu Bello House, Ilorin.
The governor said the two countries needed to move beyond their longstanding political relationship to deepen trade, industrial development and regional integration.
“We need to move from political discussions to stronger economic ties, developing Africa, especially with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement being in place,” he said.
AbdulRazaq also called for easier movement of goods and services across borders, saying improved trade and manufacturing would boost economic growth and create employment opportunities across West Africa.
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“We need to ease border restrictions for movement of goods and services, trade manufacturing, increase our GDP, and create more jobs within West Africa,” the governor said.
He advocated a common currency for the British West African sub-region, similar to the arrangement among French-speaking West African countries, and urged stakeholders to establish a clear timeline for its implementation.
The governor said such a move would represent a major step towards deeper regional economic integration.
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He also identified the Trans-West African Highway and the Abidjan-Lagos Coastal Road as critical infrastructure projects that could improve connectivity and facilitate trade among countries in the region.
On cooperation between Kwara and Ghana, AbdulRazaq called for collaboration in cocoa production, processing and management.
He noted that Kwara was among Nigeria’s cocoa-producing states and could benefit from Ghana’s experience in sustaining its position as a leading global cocoa producer.
In his remarks, Mahama agreed on the need to strengthen bilateral trade between Nigeria and Ghana, arguing that economic cooperation should extend beyond the political framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“As the Governor stated, ECOWAS, for instance, has been more of a political arrangement, but he said we can deepen it by considering bilateral trade arrangements between our two countries. And we also believe that since the Inter-African Continental Free Trade is based in Accra, we should also make sure that trade between our two countries improves,” he said.
Mahama’s delegation included Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Sadiq Abdulai Abu; the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority, Simon Madjie; and the Head of Political and Economic Affairs at the Ghanaian High Commission, Dr Tenewa Asamoah.
The Ghanaian President was in Kwara State ahead of the maiden convocation ceremony of the University of Offa.