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Nigeria in the News!! Good news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

West Africa Latest White House Target for New Trade Agreement
West Africa joined an ever-growing list of regions and economic blocs that the White House is targeting for new trade agreements.
Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis announced last week that the Obama Administration was exploring the possibility of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the region's economic bloc consisting of 15 member states including Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. "A TIFA with ECOWAS can significantly contribute to economic growth and increased international competitiveness on both sides of the Atlantic," said Marantis.
Earlier in the week President Barack Obama met with four African heads of state, including those from ECOWAS member states Sierra Leone, Senegal and Cape Verde. He discussed the possibility of concluding a TIFA and taking other steps to expand the United States' trade relationship with the region, which has historically been a market dominated by Europe and more recently by China. A concluded, successful TIFA would open up export opportunities for U.S. companies hoping to enter the region, and ideally further integrate the U.S. into Africa's commodity wealth and ongoing economic development.
The U.S. currently already has TIFAs with four other African regional economic blocs, namely the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA) and the South African Customs Union (SACU). These organizations have minimized trade and regulatory hurdles among member nations, allowing companies to sell to the region, rather than having to worry about differences from country to country, and making Africa overall a much more attractive export market than in years prior.
ECOWAS recorded GDP growth of 6.9% in 2012, more than double the global rate and an increase from the 5.9% rate of growth recorded in 2011. According to a recent economic forecast from Dun & Bradstreet, Sub-Saharan Africa should continue to see growth above 5% for the foreseeable future, driven primarily by commodities, and Sierra Leone and Senegal were expected to see noteworthy improvement in the coming four years.
- Jacob Barron, CICP, NACM staff writer

 

Woman of Courage

Dr. Josephine Odumakin with Michelle Obama at the award ceremony


Nigeria's Dr. Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin was one of this year's recipient of The  Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award.



The Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award annually recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of this award in 2007, the Department of State has honored 66 women from 44 different countries.




The 2013 awardees are:


Malalai Bahaduri, Second Lieutenant, Afghan National Interdiction Unit (Afghanistan)

Julieta Castellanos, Rector, National Autonomous University of Honduras (Honduras)

Dr. Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin, President, Campaign for Democracy (Nigeria)

Elena Milashina, journalist, human rights activist (Russia)

Fartuun Adan, Executive Director, Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (Somalia)

Tsering Woeser (Wei Se), Tibetan author, poet, blogger (China) *

Razan Zeitunah, human rights lawyer and Founder, Local Coordination Committees (Syria) *

Ta Phong Tan, blogger (Vietnam) *

Nirbhaya “Fearless,” champion for justice (India) **


Congratulations and Thank you Ladies!

International Women's Day 2013

International Women's Day 2013 Happy International Women's day

Wow 2013!!!

I can't believe it's been this long! I wish u all a wonder filled 2013

Ethiopian Airlines to get Africa's first Boeing 777 Freighter Ethiopian Airlines announced it will receive Africa's first Boeing 777 Freighter on September 19, 2012 from Boeing at Everett, Washington. Ethiopian Airlines will become the first carrier in Africa to operate the ultra-modern Boeing 777 Freighter. Ethiopian is the largest Cargo operator in Africa operating six dedicated freighter aircraft to 24 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The B777F is the first of the six firm orders Ethiopian placed in October 2011. Ethiopian will receive its 2nd B777F in October 2012 and the rest in 2014. This is inline with the cargo expansion plan to cater adequate capacity to the fast growing Ethiopian horticultural products export. Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam said "The B777 Freighter aircraft is unparalleled in its category with its long-range capability, exceptional cargo uplift, special capabilities in temperature control for fresh produce and life science materials, and fuel efficiency. As a result, we will deploy this aircraft on longer routes for carriage of flowers, fruits, and vegetables to expand and improve our cargo services."

Happy International Women's Day