World

Nigeria says domestic consultation needed on Africa free trade agreement

Tuesday March 27 2018

AFRICAN HEADS OF STATES AND GOVERNMENTS DURING THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT FOR THE AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH THE CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA IN KIGALI, RWANDA, ON MARCH 21, 2018. AFP PHOTO

Nigeria did not join an Africa free trade zone because more domestic consultation was needed before committing to such an agreement, the foreign minister said on Wednesday, according to the presidency’s Twitter feed.

African leaders agreed to form a $3 trillion continental free-trade zone encompassing 1.2 billion people, but its biggest economy, Nigeria, and most-developed, South Africa, did not sign up.

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