By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria remained fully committed to free international trade, despite its present economic circumstances.
He said this yesterday in Abuja at an audience with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, at the Presidential Villa.
He gave the assurance that Nigeria would remain part of the world market in spite of the dwindling price of oil.
“I am glad that you are aware of the position we’ve found ourselves, the state of our economy, our consumption pattern and many others. Despite it all, we remain committed to the ideals of free international trade championed by the WTO,” he said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Azevedo said the organisation would soon start conversations on important issues for the country including development of small and medium scale enterprises, which he described as biggest employers of labour in developing countries.
He said: “We want to bring the private sector close, so that we can understand the main challenges. Nigeria has a big part to play, though the times are difficult. Prices of oil are unprecedentedly low, emerging economies are slowing down, and commodity prices are shrinking. But majority of WTO members know that there is no gain in blocking goods.”
