COMMUNIQUE OF THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON TRADE IN SERVICES CONVENED BY THE NIGERIAN OFFICE FOR TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (NOTN)

THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CRITICAL AND RELEVANT PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS ON TRADE IN SERVICES Participated in the Private and Public Sectoral Consultative Meetings on Trade in Service held between the 13 to 24 February 2020 in Abuja. The Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations recognizing that stakeholders' buy-in through an inclusive consultative process comprising both the public sector and private sector experts will enrich the quality of discourse, credibility of the process and production of a schedule of commitment on trade in services, which represents the aspirations of Nigerians, convened a series of consultative meetings spanning a period of two weeks, 1. THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS FOCUSED ON: 1.1 The priority service sector areas proposed for liberalization namely: professional business services, financial services, transport services, tourism and communication services. 1.2 The discussions were centered on the Draft Schedule of Specific Commitment provided by NOTN to all the participants. Deliberations were preceded by a brief training covering background and status of negotiations in ECOWAS and AfCFTA; explanation of trade terminologies such as horizontal commitments, limitations on market access, limitations on national treatment, schedule of specific commitments, bound, unbound and none etc. 2. THE STAKEHOLDERS NOTE WITH SATISFACTION: 2.1 The inclusive consultative approach adopted by the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiation whereby private sector service providers and public sector officials together participate in developing the schedule of commitments noting, in particular, that the operationalization of the services policies rests on the private sector and the services under negotiation excludes services provided by governments. 2.2 The plan of the Acting Chief Trade Negotiator/Director General of NOTN to collapse all the consultation fora into one cohesive Forum which will facilitate collaboration and coordination. 2.3 The well-articulated clarifications from NOTN officials on certain questions and issues raised at the various meetings. 2.4 The stakeholders are appreciative of NOTN's deliberate initiative and action to ensure an inclusive and consultative process in the preparation of the schedule of specific commitment on trade in services.