President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the European Union to revisit the deal and policies that would address the economic migration of Africans to Europe. Buhari made this call during the ongoing AU-EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, saying irregular migration of Africans to Europe has continued to drain Africa’s talent while creating political crises in Europe. Published by Politico yesterday on the summit, Mr. Buhari demanded that the EU must undo its one-sided deals, and find a way of creating jobs for Africans on African soil.
The Nigerian leader said, “The relationship between the EU and Africa must be rebalanced to power job creation. Unfortunately, today’s arrangements do just the opposite,”
He explained, “Moving forward, it is clear what a new economic deal between our unions should entail: For Africa, it must offer a chance for a fundamentally new economic deal.
“For Europe, it must provide the chance to rid itself of a trade policy that quashes job-creation in Africa and hinders efforts to stem economic migration to Europe.”
Pointing out the reason why Nigeria refused to endorse Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) with Europe, Buhari revealed Agricultural subsidies in Europe arm-twisted African farmers through flooding the market with “artificially depreciated produce” which undermines competition.
Buhari said, “For instance, subsidy-driven surpluses of European milk are powdered and sent to Africa, decimating its dairy industry”.
“It is a similar story when it comes to wheat and poultry production. Despite having the most underutilized arable land in the world, Africa remains a net food importer.”
Buhari disclosed that more than €50 billion is being injected into European food production to make it cheap, putting the continent on the advantage against Africa as its major market.
This action stifled African investment in Agriculture and put Africa at a disadvantage position, Buhari added.
‘EU DEALS CAN SLOW AFCFTA IMPLEMENTATION’
Furthermore, the Nigerian leader revealed that EPAs can sometimes stir disagreement between the EU and African nations which is capable of slowing down the implementation of the African Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA).
He said, “Today, we meet as continents, and our trade relations should reflect that. Yet EPAs pitch the EU as one against regional groupings or individual countries in Africa, and the pursuit of these deals has the effect of creating a motley of various conditions and tariff regimes across the continent,”
“Pulling nations in different directions, will slow the implementation of AfCFTA and undermine eventual efforts to attain a customs union.”
Buhari called on African leaders to speak with one voice and negotiate better deals on the global stage.
