Deputy Speaker Calls For Stronger Parliamentary Role In Digital Trade

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged parliaments across the world to take the lead in shaping the future of digital trade.

Speaking on the theme “Promoting Multilateralism Through Digital Trade: What Role for Parliaments?” at the World Trade Organization/Inter-Parliamentary Union (WTO-IPU) Steering Committee session of the ongoing 55th Parliamentary Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland
Mr Kalu said digital trade had become a daily reality for entrepreneurs and a key opportunity for Africa’s young population.

He noted that Africa was advancing its own regional framework through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its Protocol on Digital Trade.

According to him, Nigeria had already passed a Data Protection Act in 2023 and was preparing a National Digital Economy Bill to anchor e-commerce and investment in law.

But Mr Kalu warned that rules without enforcement would be meaningless.

He set out three proposals for coordinated action: the creation of a legislative tracking mechanism, stronger WTO support for AfCFTA, and a model digital trade legislative toolkit developed with UNCTAD and ITC.
“The choice before us is stark: a fragmented digital future shaped by others, or a shared digital prosperity shaped by us,” he told the gathering.

Mr Kalu said digital trade should become a bridge of trust and opportunity rather than a new divide.

PR Oduyemi Odumade