The minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, has said that for Nigeria to truly attain economic growth, investors and businesses must ensure an inclusive African Free Continental Trade Area, (AfCTA,) Implementation.
Katagum made this known at a multi-stakeholder gender and economic growth meeting tagged ‘Buenos Aires: Pathway to Inclusive African Free Continental Trade Area Implementation in Nigeria’, held in Abuja, yesterday.
The minister who was represented by the Deputy Director of commodities at the Ministry, Kaura Irimiya, said the meeting will enable women to benefit from new trade and export opportunities available in the free trade area as well as overcome challenges of poverty, discrimination, exploitation and poor representation of women in leadership and governance.
She said: “We are aware that today as in the past, women continue to make enormous contributions to the present economy whether in business, farms, and sales as entrepreneurs or employees by providing basic care roles at home as evident during Covid-19 pandemic and how they care for everyone.
“Presently, women remained appropriately affected by poverty, discrimination, exploitation and poor representation of leadership and governance so gender issue is not just women issue, it is a national issue.