Senate President Seeks WTO Collaboration on Marine Economies
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has called on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to collaborate with the National Assembly in the area of marine and digital economies.
Akpabio made the call during a visit to the WTO headquarters while attending the on-going 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU),
Akpabio who led the delegation, according to a press statement during the visit met with the Director General of the global body, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her office in Geneva, Switzerland , on Monday.
He told the WTO DG that the delegation was interested in looking for areas of collaboration with the world body in many sectors of the economy for the benefit of Nigerians.
Akpabio said in the statement, “We used our attendance at the IPU to pay courtesy visit to one of Nigeria’s very costly export to the world, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who is the Director General of the WTO.
“We came to thank her for the job she is doing for the world and thank her staff for supporting and standing by her to succeed. We, in Nigeria are very proud of her.
“We had discussions on the various developmental programmes of the WTO and we noticed that there were spaces where Nigerians can become major players.
“We discussed issues affecting trade back home in Nigeria and ways in which the National Assembly can assist in removing barriers, through legislation for the benefit of our people.
“We also talked about issue of regulations concerning digital economic contents, illegal fishing along the coastal states of Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states.
“We spoke on how the Nigerian women could benefit from the recent programmes funded by the organisation was also discussed.
“The establishment of a digital trade portal, where-in, all trade information could be accessed by our people top our discussion with the WTO.
“The deliberations were fruitful and we are confident that with our support in all of these, Nigerians would be the better for it.”
Okonjo Iweala in her response said the visit of the delegation was a huge honour.
She said, “We were able to talk on those things we are doing at the WTO that would help make a material difference for Nigerians.
“We spoke of recent programme that we launched in some development programmes, from the standards and trade facilities to help in improving sanitary and vital sanitary standards for some of the crops in Nigeria, so that it helps in diversifying the economy to even fisheries and illegal mining of the waters of Nigeria.
“A lot of things on the table have already been discussed. I am honoured by this visit and I am home-sick.”
Akpabio made the call during a visit to the WTO headquarters while attending the on-going 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU),
Akpabio who led the delegation, according to a press statement during the visit met with the Director General of the global body, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her office in Geneva, Switzerland , on Monday.
He told the WTO DG that the delegation was interested in looking for areas of collaboration with the world body in many sectors of the economy for the benefit of Nigerians.
Akpabio said in the statement, “We used our attendance at the IPU to pay courtesy visit to one of Nigeria’s very costly export to the world, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who is the Director General of the WTO.
“We came to thank her for the job she is doing for the world and thank her staff for supporting and standing by her to succeed. We, in Nigeria are very proud of her.
“We had discussions on the various developmental programmes of the WTO and we noticed that there were spaces where Nigerians can become major players.
“We discussed issues affecting trade back home in Nigeria and ways in which the National Assembly can assist in removing barriers, through legislation for the benefit of our people.
“We also talked about issue of regulations concerning digital economic contents, illegal fishing along the coastal states of Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states.
“We spoke on how the Nigerian women could benefit from the recent programmes funded by the organisation was also discussed.
“The establishment of a digital trade portal, where-in, all trade information could be accessed by our people top our discussion with the WTO.
“The deliberations were fruitful and we are confident that with our support in all of these, Nigerians would be the better for it.”
Okonjo Iweala in her response said the visit of the delegation was a huge honour.
She said, “We were able to talk on those things we are doing at the WTO that would help make a material difference for Nigerians.
“We spoke of recent programme that we launched in some development programmes, from the standards and trade facilities to help in improving sanitary and vital sanitary standards for some of the crops in Nigeria, so that it helps in diversifying the economy to even fisheries and illegal mining of the waters of Nigeria.
“A lot of things on the table have already been discussed. I am honoured by this visit and I am home-sick.”
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