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FG Takes Ecowas Trade Liberalisation Scheme To North-Central, Targets Regional Economic Growth
FG Takes Ecowas Trade Liberalisation Scheme To North-Central, Targets Regional Economic Growth
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to expand Nigeria’s participation in regional trade, urging businesses across the North-Central geopolitical zone to take advantage of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to boost exports, investment and economic growth.
The call was made on Monday, November 2, 2026, at a sensitisation workshop on the ETLS held in Lokoja, Kogi State, under the theme, “Harnessing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme to Promote Nigeria’s Interregional Trade and Economic Growth.”
Speaking at the event, the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, described the ETLS as a key instrument for advancing Nigeria’s regional integration agenda through duty-free and quota-free access for approved products originating from ECOWAS member states.
He disclosed that approximately 3,500 Nigerian companies and 20,000 products had been registered under the scheme, figures he said remained significantly below Nigeria’s productive capacity and trade potential.
The Minister stressed the need to increase awareness, strengthen institutional coordination and address challenges preventing Nigerian businesses from fully benefiting from the regional trade arrangement.
According to him, Nigeria’s large population, natural resources, industrial capacity, entrepreneurial strength and strategic position in West Africa provide the country with significant opportunities to lead regional economic integration.
He noted that the ETLS, alongside the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), remained critical to promoting trade liberalisation, industrial development and sustainable economic growth across the continent.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye called on manufacturers, agricultural producers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to increase their participation in the scheme, noting that it aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
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He also linked the initiative to Nigeria’s reformulated 4Ds foreign policy priorities of Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy, as well as the principle of strategic autonomy, which places national interests and the welfare of Nigerians at the centre of the country’s diplomatic engagements.
The Minister urged businesses in Kogi State and the wider North-Central region to harness their agricultural, livestock and mineral resources through value addition and industrial production to strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in the West African market.
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He further encouraged participants to familiarise themselves with the scheme’s registration procedures, product certification and rules-of-origin requirements to ensure that their products qualify for preferential access to the regional market.
In his keynote address, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, represented by his Deputy, Salifu Joel Oyibo, described the ETLS as an opportunity for the state to expand its economic reach, attract investments and connect local production to markets across West Africa.
The Governor identified Kogi’s strategic geographical location, agricultural and mineral resources, road network and ongoing infrastructure projects as important assets for industrialisation and trade expansion.
He specifically highlighted the proposed Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone, agro-processing zone and Kogi International Airport as projects capable of supporting economic development and creating new trade opportunities.
Ododo called for improved transportation infrastructure, stronger collaboration among states and the removal of barriers to legitimate cross-border trade, including multiple checkpoints, inadequate transport facilities, cumbersome documentation and limited access to trade information.
He also urged businesses in the region to improve product quality, packaging and certification to meet the standards required to compete effectively in the ECOWAS market.
Similarly, the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Pastor Mrs Fola Shadia Rekiya Iwade, PhD, reaffirmed the state’s readiness to support trade and investment through institutional assistance and business facilitation for MSMEs.
Other stakeholders, including representatives of the organised private sector, called for the removal of non-tariff barriers and improved logistics infrastructure, particularly rail networks, inland waterways and cargo-handling facilities, to facilitate the movement of goods.
They also pledged to mobilise businesses, promote awareness of the ETLS and support exporters in meeting the necessary trade and certification requirements.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Enikanolaiye described regional integration as a practical instrument for employment generation, income growth and improved livelihoods rather than merely a diplomatic undertaking.
He observed that the North-Central region possessed considerable untapped potential in agriculture, livestock, solid minerals and manufacturing, capable of competing in both the Nigerian and wider West African markets.
The Minister, however, noted that businesses, particularly MSMEs, required accessible information, stronger institutional support and simplified procedures to participate effectively in the scheme.
He consequently urged relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide exporters with timely, transparent and efficient institutional support, without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the workshop, saying it had provided businesses, producers and entrepreneurs in Kogi State and the wider North-Central region with greater understanding of the opportunities, requirements and responsibilities associated with the ETLS.
On behalf of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he appreciated the Kogi State Government, the ECOWAS Commission, resource persons, regulatory agencies, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the business community for their contributions to the success of the workshop.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to sustaining collaboration with relevant stakeholders to translate the opportunities offered by the ETLS into tangible economic benefits for Nigerians.
By Sophina Ovuike, Abuja
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