Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called for debt cancellation mechanisms, including debtfor-development swaps, to alleviate Africa’s debt burden.

He also advocated for the renegotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to align with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and support African industrial policy and reducing non-tariff barriers.

The deputy speaker made the call during a meeting with a Member of European Parliament, Fabio De Masi on the sidelines of his working visit to the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

De Masi, a vocal critic of neoliberal austerity and a strong advocate for social and economic justice, represents the Left Group (GUE/ NGL – Confederal Group of the European United Left/ Nordic Green Left), and affiliated with Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht– Vernunft und Gerechtigkeit (BSW).

Also, a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, and a part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa and the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament, De Masi’s legislative agenda aligns with the Pan-African Parliament’s aspirations for a just, equitable, and sovereign African future.