Ministry Partners
UNDP To Evolve New Trade Policy
Nigeria
is seeking the support of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNPD) to develop an internationally competitive trade
policy.
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Achike Udenwa,
requested a team from UNDP headquarters in Geneva, who paid him
a visit in Abuja, to offer necessary funding and support
infrastructure development to make Nigeria more competitive.
In his words: ’’The assistance is necessary because the
country’s economy has also been affected by the global recession
and the free market economy has also come with some distortions
to developing economies.’’
Chief Udenwa described the situation which Nigeria had found
itself as a dilemma, in spite of all its abundant resources.
’’Nigeria as a developing country, should be competing with
other developing countries such as India, Malaysia and
Brazil….We think that UNDP can be of assistance to us to talk to
other stakeholders in the private sector to fashion out trade
policy in collaboration with other developing partners for the
country,’’ he said.
The minister also appealed to developed countries to come to the
aid of Nigeria, because the ‘Aid for Trade’ for developing
economies had not done much to help needy countries.
The leader of the UNDP team, Mr. David Luke, said the team is in
Nigeria in response to evolve concrete steps to actualise the
ministry’s requests for support.
’’We are very impressed with the leadership of the ministry
and the interventions at the last meeting in Geneva on trade
issues not only on behalf of Nigeria but for the whole of
Africa….We hope to reach good understanding on how to take
forward this important trade issues.’’ Luke said.
The ministry is also collaborating with other developing
partners such as the United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation (UNIDO) on industrial policy and the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) on trade policy.
NAN/Yinka
