Buhari leaves Paris for intra-African trade fair in South Africa

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to visit Durban, South Africa, for the opening ceremony of the second intra-African trade fair (IATF) 2021.

Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesperson, said Buhari will leave Paris on Saturday to join Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa and other African leaders at the event.

The event convened by the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat will kick off on Monday.

The event will hold from November 15 to November 21. 

“The theme of the Fair, Building Bridges for a Successful AfCFTA — aims at boosting trade and investment across the African continent,” the statement reads.

“It also promises to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive across the African continent; bring to fruition the lofty ideas behind the creation of the AfCFTA by providing the platform to further identify and proffer solutions to challenges militating against intra-African trade and; generate market information needed to connect buyers and sellers throughout the continent.

“Global businesses including non-African international brands are expected to key into opportunities generated by the fair, thereby attracting for the continent trade and investment deals worth $40billion. Various Nigerian investors are already in Durban to take advantage of the event.

The statement added that the President will be accompanied on the trip by Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, Niyi Adebayo, minister of industry, trade and investment, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar director-general, national intelligence agency and Segun Awolowo, executive director/chief executive officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

The president is expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, November 16.