NIGERIAN Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that Nigeria would not sign the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Economic Community of West African States until the country ends its ongoing consultations on the agreement.
The EPA is a free trade deal that had been initialled by EU and ECOWAS negotiators covering trade in goods and development cooperation.
While a number of West African nations have endorsed the deal, a few including Nigeria have raised issues regarding the implications of the deal.
According to a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the Vice-President gave the explanation while speaking at the 49th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS which took place in Dakar, Senegal.
Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event.
The Vice-President said the Federal Government was consulting the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and some other key economic players on the agreement.
“We understand some of the terms of this agreement are capable of restricting manufacturers’ trading activities and we would not want this to happen.
