The new director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Tuesday paid a visit to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Headquarters in Abuja.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was received by a delegation led by CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.
The WTO DG who is on an official four-day visit had met President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Speaking during her meeting with Mr Emefiele, Okonjo-Iweala said: “I think we have what it takes in the country, particularly our young people to do the necessary which is to move forward as to how we are going to create jobs and move this economy in the direction that would support our youths in the future.
“There are opportunities that can be used in improving trade so that our economy can climb out of this pandemic recession that we are in faster than would have been the case.”
According to the WTO boss, the country also needs to embrace trade remedies and a digital economy to help Nigerian industries.
“WTO has what we call trade remedies. Without banning things we can be able to protect our industries against dumping and cheap imports if we use those remedies. We can use those remedies as a tool to help our industries.
“Digital economy has come to stay and people are doing well there. We need to support our young people to make use of the digital economy,” she explained.
Emefiele, in response, said the local industry should be given room to grow as it would create more job opportunities, given the rate of high unemployment in the country.
