Sacrificing AfCFTA, ECOWAS on a platter of individualism

NIGERIA’S government about two years ago signed the controversial African Continental Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), despite the criticisms that trailed it.

Many opponents of the trade policy had then based their positions on the fact that other African countries mounting pressures on Nigeria to join the group were only doing so for their selfish gains.

Key players from the different sectors of the country’s economy including aviation expressed their doubts about the sincerity of other African nations in view of their records of hostility towards Nigeria.

Many of the African leaders had openly displayed their uncooperative attitude towards good policies that ordinarily should have brought good benefits that would have enhanced connectivity of the African countries through air transport just for the sake of marking their territories.

The obvious lack of cooperation amongst the African countries is responsible for the poor performances of the few existing African airlines which have become a good avenue for the foreign airlines to continue to dominate the African airspace.

A typical example of the negative vibes from the leaders of the various governments on the continent was the pranks being played with the Yamoussoukro Decision treaty that was meant to give room for open skies amongst many African countries which was endorsed by 44 members of the African Union in 1999, and became binding in 2002.

Up till now, while few countries like Nigeria had made serious efforts in ensuring the policy sailed through for the progress of the continent, other fellow African leaders have continued to frustrate the policy due to suspicion and the belief that their countries will be taken over by airlines from stronger African countries.

The suspicion and lack of trust amongst many of the African leaders has continued to rub the continent of greater developments which is mostly responsible for low aggregate of contributions to aviation on the continent despite the potential readily available in lucrative route networks spread across the continent which the foreign airlines are holding on to.

It was based on these obvious facts raised by the different key players coupled with the obvious hatred many of the African countries displayed towards Nigerian airlines and even Nigerians that the government was urged not to rush into signing the AfCFTA agreement.

The doubts raised about the sincerity of many of the African leaders towards making the agreement work has started manifesting as witnessed in the sad tales of how even smaller African countries like Togo, Cape Verde, Cote D’ivoire and Maldives are making a mess of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) passport protocols in their countries.

In these countries, Nigerians are being humiliated by their immigration officials through their refusal to allow Nigerians into their countries even when citizens from outside West Africa and Africa are allowed in freely.

Many of the affected Nigerians who have cried out over the injustice had narrated how four Nigerians were recently deported from Cape Verde for being Nigerians.

According to one of those affected, she spoke of how on landing at Cape Verde, she with some other African nationals were pulled aside while the whites amongst them were subsequently cleared to go.

When asked why they were denied clearance to enter the country, the officials were said to have replied that they decided who could stay and who could go. Many other Nigerians corroborated the Cape Verde experience citing the embarrassment they were subjected to in places like Togo, Cote D’Ivoire and other neighbouring countries which ordinarily should have issued visas on arrival to Nigerians.

These fellow African countries whose citizens are enjoying African brotherly cares in Nigeria are churning out frustrations and disrespect to Nigerians in their domains to the detriment of the ECOWAS policy.

This hostile attitude and the disregard for the ECOWAS passport policy and other agreements existing have only confirmed the doubt about the workability of AfCFTA.

While unfortunately Nigeria after signing the AfCFTA has since opened its doors to the fellow African nations, they are in return targeting Nigerians for humiliation.

It is at this juncture that the Nigerian Immigrations and Foreign Services should look into this disregard for ECOWAS  protocols by some of the African countries and if need be, the Federal Government should urgently review its position on the AfCFTA policy for the sake of equity and fairness.

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