There have been various conversations in recent times on the global stage, many of which I have participated actively in, around the imperative for strong efforts towards speedy economic recovery for African countries. While some immediate short-term remedies such as debt relief were necessary, trade represents a far more sustainable solution to reviving the economies of African countries; trade and investment are important.

Like most developing countries, Nigeria is mobilizing national and international efforts to meet the sustainable development goal of inclusive and quality education for all. Learning profiles allow for tracking of SDG 4 and assessment of optimal policy response.

Nigeria had been grappling with weak recovery from a recession in 2016, with GDP growth rate tapering around 2.3 percent in 2019. The debt service-to-revenue ratio has been at 60 percent for the past four years.

The CGE component is aimed at complementing the consultations and inputs gathered and analyzed from key stakeholders on the project as discussed in the survey session. It would also provide a quantitative analysis of the AfCFTA in a general equilibrium framework. Extant studies undertaken to assess FTAs are mostly carried out using CGE models. CGE models are computer-based simulations used for the overall assessments of trade agreements at the region, country, and broad sector level.

In July 2019, Nigeria joined 53 other African Union member countries to endorse the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The signing of this agreement is expected to have wide reaching implications on the activities of businesses in Nigeria. AfCFTA was essentially designed to establish a single market for trade in goods and services in Africa and improve intra-African trade. Some existing studies suggest that the potential benefits of the agreement are significant for several reasons.