Ghana to contest Nigeria's ban on products

Accra, June 15, GNA - Ghana is putting together a position paper on Nigeria's decision to ban certain items and products from entering its market.

Ghana would table the paper on the fringes of the forthcoming review meeting of the Head of States on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss Ghana and Rwanda's Programme of Action on the draft of their country papers on the APRM. The Nigerian authorities have placed ban in contravention of ECOWAS and World Trade Organization rules and regulations.

The Nigerian authorities early this year placed a ban on the importation of certain products into the country as part of measures to stop the importation of cheap items and ultimately to diversify the Nigerian economy.

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD, told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that the Ministry was working in consultation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to fashion out a strategy to address the situation.

Dr Apraku was reacting to how Nigeria's ban on the products could work into the Peer Review Mechanism where countries could rebuke each other for acts or omissions at the highest level of decision-making.

The ban items include rice, poultry, textiles and a host of other products.

Dr Apraku said Ghana was deeply disturbed about Nigeria's decision and expressed the hope that there was the possibility of an amicable solution to the matter.

He said Ghana was studying the matter closely in the light of firm cooperation between the two countries. Under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Treaty, member countries are free to export and import items into each other's country devoid of quotas or any forms of restriction. 15 June 05