Friday, 22 July 2016

THE IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT FOR AFRICA

                                         Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the Parley on BREXIT

The Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD), in collaboration with Africa Vision 525 Initiative held a round-table discussion on 'The Implications of BREXIT for Africa' on the 21st of July, 2016 at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja. I am a non resident Senior Fellow of CDD. Present at the occasion were policy makers, academics, students, diplomats, etc.

Some of the members of the panel are: Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Prof. Okello Oculi and Amb. Jadu Ilyasu. The major highlights of the submissions from the panelists and participants are as follows:

*It doesn't matter how long a country has been in a regional or international organisation, she can stop, reflect on, and indeed hold a referendum which could result in her pulling out of the organisation. This is exactly what the UK did, whether the outcome was expected or not. For us in Africa, especially Nigeria, we may begin to re-examine our membership of the AU, ECOWAS, the UN, etc. It is important to start from the inner concentric circle, ECOWAS, where the Article on the free movement of persons and goods is suspected to be hampering the fight against terrorism and rural banditry in Nigeria.

*Brexit shows that the issue of sovereignty is a weighty one, and every nation state would like to retain her sovereignty, especially when a critical mass of the population feels that their aspirations are not being favoured within a regional organisation.

*Some participants believe that Brexit may end up being only on paper, since the negotiation period for the UK to exit the EU has been extended from two years to five years and maybe seven years. This is seen as a ploy to delay the exit process while the aging generation in favour of Brexit dies off!

*Whether Brexit happens in reality eventually or not, Africa, and indeed Nigeria, needs to watch the process keenly.

*It is a blessing in disguise that Nigeria has not signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which many other Africa countries have been bamboozled to sign. With Brexit, Nigeria may now be able to sign preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with the UK, and indeed the EU, directly, and separately.

*Cyprus and Malta may remain the only Commonwealth countries in the EU with the exit of the UK. Who would speak on behalf of Nigeria in the EU? These two countries cannot muster the 'weight' of the UK as regards influence.

*If Scotland leaves the UK, as she's threatening to, then we may only have Great Britain left.

*The UK may adopt a low, or indeed zero tariff on imports in the wake of Brexit in order to undermine EU member countries.

*Brexit is likely to have minimal effect on trade relations between Nigeria and the UK. However, Kenya and South Africa economies may be affected more by Brexit because of their volume of trade with the UK.

*Should Nigeria, and indeed Africa be worried about Brexit? NO! This is because the impact would be minimal, but we need to keep monitoring events as they unfold...

Related Links

*The Brexit Blog    https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com 
*Britain just got its first concrete sign that Brexit will destroy the economy    https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/britain-just-got-first-concrete...
*No-Deal Brexit: Odd Rising? How about Sterling?   https://analysis.hotforex.com/167307/
*Brexit: Why untangling UK industry from Europe may be impossible    https://t.co/gTaR
*Fences: A Brexit diary by Zadie Smith    www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/18/fences-brexit-diary/...
*Brexit blues    www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n15/john-lanchester/brexit-blues
*Metropolitan myths that led to Brexit    www.ft.com/cms/s/0/56U8a798...html
*Brexit votes: NOT the left behind    www.fabians.org.uk/brexit-voters-not-left-behind/
*Brexit: How politics could fuel downside risks to global markets    https://image-store-slideshare-com/
*Brexit: Not moving on, not going away   https://chrisgreybrexitblog.com/2020/05/not-moving-not-going-away.html
*The risk of a no-deal Brexit is rising, & that's not a bad thing   ft.com/content/46087061.../
*EU starts legal action against Britain for breaking Brexit Treaty   https://www-bbc-co-uk-cdn.ampproject.org/e/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-politics-54370226   https:www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-boris-johnson-treaty-legal-action-uk-government-b737792.html
*How the UK has taken foreign policy out of Brexit negotiations   chatamhouse.org/expert/comment/why-uk-taken-foreign-policy-out-of-brexit/
*How to start healing these Brexit family rifts    http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/how-to-start-healing-these-brexit-famliy-rifts
*Brexit presents Britain with a moment of transformational evolutionary potential    http://www.newmagnacarta.org/brexit-presents-us-with-a-moment-of...
*Brexit: The hell that was quickly postponed    https://lnkd.in/esGQqrg  #UK  #EU  #Finance  #Politics    http://cyeon.com/2016/07/20/the-brexit-the-hell-that-was-quickly-postponed/
*How Brexit is affecting the luxury market in London    www.mansionglobal.com/london...
*How Britain can benefit from Brexit: Damage is inevitable, but there are ways of mitigating it     economist.com
*Musical about Brexit featuring a rapping Vladimir Putin    nbcnews.to/2fFqNkN
*The cost of Brexit: A decade of slower economic growth    http://t.co/WLnqUMk4cy
*Tony Blair says Brexit can be stopped    cnn.it/2fwI4MD
*'Have cake & eat it': Is this the UK's exit strategy?    reut.rs/2fH30x2
*Britain's European partners take a hard line on Brexit    https://t.co/wQkgolwzq3
*Britain may continue with some EU cooperation post-Brexit    reut.rs/2gUQ3Eu
*After Brexit & Trump, is Italy next?    https://twitter.com/WSJ
*2016 in charts: The year of Brexit & Trump    econ.st/2hw3Eyz  
*Brexit is a symptom of nationalism spreading across Europe    http://theglobeandmail.com/news/world/brexit-0617/
*The Brexit vote is a buying opportunity. Here's why      http://seekinggalpha.com/article/3984245-brexit-vote-buying-opportunity
*Brexit: Believing in discarded models    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/the...
*France & Germany in agreement over UK's EU exit    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe...
*Brexit to dis-United Kingdom?    https://linkd.in/bjBaatV
*Reasons for Brexit    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/we-kicked-around-the-working-class...
*The Brexit debate: June 2016    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1882332/
*Why Brexit could be positive for emerging markets    https://fronteranews.com/tv/mobiuss-contrarian-picks-frontera-tv-exclusive/
*Germany proposes EU defence union after Brexit    https://www.neweurope.eu/article/germany-proposes-eu-defence-union-brexit/
*Global Britain: UK Foreign Policy in the era of Brexit    https://www.chatamhouse.org/event/global-britain-uk-foreign-policy-era-brexit
*NHS & Brexit    https://web.facebook.com/openbritain/videos/...
*The most dangerous moment for Europe since Brexit    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe
*British voters would vote for Brexit again, even though nearly half think leaving the EU will hurt them finacially    cnn.it/2h4fe8A
*Fog in the channel: What Brexit means for Africa    https://issafrica.org/.../fog-in-the-channel...
*6 months on, Brexit is shaking up British electoral politics    cht.hm/2ineNT5
*How & why Brexit triumphed    https://t.co/UyOUWMccPc
*Brexit & the Commonwealth    http://www.commonwealthroundtable.co.uk/
*Scotland will vote for independence in 2 years    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-scotland...
*Will giving more voice to native parliaments enhance the EU's legitimacy?     econ.st/2adOvll
*EU supports surges in big European countries after Brexit    http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-poll...
*A German philosopher's advise on how to beat the rise of the far right in Europe    buff.ly/290laGw
*Europe on the edge: The new normal    edition.cnn.com/2016/07/28/europe-on-the-edge/
*Brexit: Britain must seek friendly divorce from Europe    http://cht.hm/2aQ
*Britain's new global role after Brexit    http://cht.hm/2ak...
*Theresa May's pugnacious chief-of-staff    econ,st/2ayv3Cp
*These are the EU countries with the most citizens living abroad    wef.ch/2aGgqrE
*Assessment of how Theresa May can deliver the UK's exit from the EU by Robin Niblett    cht.hm/2bOVsFH
*Elderly should sell homes to fund care, says aide to Theresa May    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/...
*Preparing for the UK's Brexit negotiation    http://cht.hm/2b0VsFH
*Britain can't afford austerity    https://www.chatamhouse.org/publications/twt/britain-can-t-afford-austerity
*Challenges & opportunities facing Brexit Britain by Kwesi Kwarteng    https://www.chatamhouse.org/publications/twt/adieu-europe-hello-world
*World War II veterans & Brexit    http://news.vice.com/video/heres-what-world-war-ii-veterans-say-about-brexit
*Brexit: An exercise in Project Management (PM)    http://bit.ly/2aO62C3
*Surviving Brexit: How Britain should cart its future outside the EU    https://www.chatamhouse.org/publications/twt/surviving-brexit
*Brexit is 'full steam ahead', Theresa May vows    www.express.co.uk/news/uk/700011/Brexit-full-stream-ahead-Theresa-May-Prime-Minister
*Rio 2016: EU puts itself top of Olympics table, removes Great Britain completely    www.express.co.uk/news/uk/701448/Rio-2016-olympics-european-union-eu-brexit-ukip
*Article 50, the EEA and what the UK will have to do to leave?    cht.hm/2bbhF1L
*Theresa May's inequality audit seems clever, but it will backfire    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/28/theresa-may-inequality...
*Theresa May's N3,150 lunch shows democracy is still for sale    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/02/theresa-may-3150-lunch...
*Two months after 'Brexit' vote, British push to leave the EU in a muddle    www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/europe/britain-brexit-eu.html/
*The vicious assault on UK judges by the Brexit press is a threat to democracy    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/04/assault-uk-judges-brexit
*G20 meeting: Obama tells May that US won't prioritise UK trade deal    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/04/...
*Juncker vows Brexit won't kill off EU    https://www.guardian.ng/news/juncker-vows-brexit-wont-kill-off-eu/
*Video: 'This is a funeral' - Le Pen predicts the end of the EU as she promises 'FREXIT'    lionheartnews.com/2016/09/video-this-is-a-funeral-le-pen-predicts...
*European embassies in the UK log more alleged hate crimes since Brexit vote    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/...
*No halfway house will do: Theresa May will go for a hard Brexit    https://www.ft.com/content/
*UK's pursuit of extremism is lost in translation    https://www.chatamhouse.org/expert/comment/uks...
*UK government loses Article 50 court fight: Must consult Parliament before leaving the EU    https://t.co/BrfvkdOlCB
*The High Court  has ruled that Parliament can derail Brexit    www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-legal-challenge-latest-loses-verdict-theresa-may-article-50-parliament-approval...
*British PM attends her first European Council meeting in Brussels: 'The UK will play a full role until we leave the EU'    https://twitter.com/number10gov/status/...
*Bregret: If the EU referendum was held today, 'Remain' would win    www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-referendum-held-again-second...
*Banks set to pull out of UK early next year    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/22/leading-banks-set-to-pull-out-of...
*History tells us what'll happen next with Brexit & Trump    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tobias-stone/history-tells-us...
*Trump & Brexit: The cost of failure to empathise    cht.hm/2gq3s4Q
*Brexit: A cry from the Irish border   https://www.linkedin.com/company/4697/...
*Brexit: Theresa May 'agrees deal with EU that would keep entire UK in Customs Union'   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-customs-deal-hard-border-ireland-backstop-avoid-speculation...
*The scientific guide to stockpiling food for a 'no deal' Brexit   https://www.newscientist.com/article/2175259-the-scientific-guide-to-stockpiling-food-for-a-no-deal-brexit/
*Democratic dictatorship in the Brexit vote   https://bit.ly/2S4PLK9
*BREXIT: More Peace-making than traditional negotiation   https://insights.cedr.com/post/102fcw5/Brexit-more-peace-making-than-traditional-negotiation
*British lawmakers vote against Theresa May's Brexit deal   https://t.co/cJA3Kqlzhm
*How the no confidence vote on Theresa May will work   cnn.it/2FCegeK
*Brexit: Mother of all messes: Solving the problem will need time & another referendum   https://t.co/Ho6zxOUBqK
*A road warrior's guide to a no-deal Brexit   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/road-warriors-guide-no-deal-brexit-isabelle-roughol
*Emmanuel Macron's summation on Brexit: The British people were sold a lie   https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2019/jan/17/emmanuel-macrons-summation-of-brexit...
*Few people have actually changed their mind on Brexit: The case against a new referendum   https://www.discovery.economics.com/features...
*There are better ways to decide the big issues than referendums   https://www.newscientist.com/article/.../there-are-better-ways-to-decide-the-big-issues...
*Brexit 10,000 BC: The untold story of how Britain first left Europe   https://www.newscientist.com/.../mg24132200-200-brexit-10000-bc-the-untold-story-of-how-britain-first-left-europe
*Game theory says Brexit negotiations are now all about avoiding blame   http://www.newscientist.com/.../2193345-game-theory-says-brexit-negotiations-are-now-all-about-avoiding-blame/
*MPs reject no deal Brexit under any circumstance   https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mps-reject-no-deal-brexit-under-any-circumstances-a4090921.html
*Brexit shows Britain is no longer able to imagine a 'common good'   https://www.newstation.com/politics/brexit/2019/03/brexit-shows-britain-no-longer-able-to-imagine-common-good
*How to resolve the Brexit deadlock: Reflections from a workplace Mediator   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-resolve-brexit-deadlock-david-liddle
*Theresa May resigns: The woman famous for her resilience could endure no more   https://news.sky.com/story/theresa-may-resigns-the-woman-famous-for-her-resilience-could-endure-no-more...
*Macron urges 'rapid clarification' on Brexit as May steps down   https://www.newspotng.com/macron-urges-rapid-clarification-on-brexit-as-may-steps-down/
*May leaves, but Brexit remains   https://www.chatamhouse.org/expert/comment/may-leaves-brexit-remains
*UK Prime Minister, Theresa May resigns as illusion of 'The rise of Me Only' ravages   https://www.tekedia.com/uk-prime-minister-theresa-may-resigns-as-illusion-of-the-rise-of-me-only-ravages/
*The Brits who wont Brexit   reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-conservative-donors... 
*Brexit 10,000 BC: The untold story of how Britain first left Europe   newscientist.com/article/mg24132200-200-brexit-10000-bc-untold-story-how-britain-left-europe/
*Brexit, English tribalism & the difficult future for European democracy   https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2019/09/20/brexit-english-tribalism-difficult-future-european-democracy-jibrin-ibrahim/
*Brexit, Eurocrats, Europeans & the others   https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2016/06/27/brexit-eurocrats-europeans-others-jibrin-ibrahim
*In spite of Brexit, the EU remains a superpower   https://wwww.project-syndicate.org/commentary/european-union-great-power-potential...
*What Brexit means for EU students in UK Universities    channelstv.com/2020/12/06/what-brexit-means-for-eu-students.../
*With Brexit, the UK finds sovereignty doesn't necessarily mean getting its way    wsj.com/articles/with-brexit-uk-finds.../
*Brexit: The good, the bad and the ugly: How to divorce with decorum    economist.com
*Britain needs a post-Brexit foreign policy    economist.com
*Britain's relationship with the EU will look like Switzerland's: The UK-EU agreement means more red tape & eternity of negotiations    economist.com
*Brexit Treaty offers no easy path to EU defense research funding for UK    https://sciencebusiness.net/news/brexit-treaty-offers-no-easy-path.../
*In post-Brexit UK, some Britons still embrace a European identity    csmonitor.com
*Hope for a brighter post-Brexit relationship with the EU is fading     economist.com
*Even the 'Brexiteers' know that leaving the EU has had no benefits    newstatesman.com

 






 





 

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