Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has endorsed the introduction of sanctions against member states that fail to implement regional trade protocols, saying stricter enforcement is necessary to deepen economic integration and unlock opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The lawmakers argued that despite existing agreements on the free movement of people, goods and services, many member states continue to operate in isolation, undermining regional trade and slowing economic growth.
The position was expressed on Tuesday on the sidelines of the delocalised meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Administration, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
ALSO READ: Stakeholders call for urgent action on FG’s non-state schools policy
The endorsement followed a recommendation by Dr Tony Luka Elumelu of the ECOWAS Business Council Secretariat, who on Monday urged the regional bloc to impose sanctions on countries that fail to comply with agreed trade protocols.
Speaking with journalists, Nigerian lawmaker, Hon. Bashiru Dawodu, said sanctions had become necessary to ensure compliance with regional agreements and discourage member states from acting independently at the expense of collective development.
“We are about 400 million people in West Africa, generating billions of dollars, but our challenge is that we are not integrated. We are all operating in silos. We already have the laws, but sometimes people have to be pressured to do the right thing. If countries know there are sanctions for non-compliance, I think they will perform better,” he said.
Dawodu stressed that the free movement of people, goods and services remained central to the success of regional integration and the growth of businesses across the sub-region.
He also called for stronger efforts to formalise MSMEs, noting that the majority of businesses in ECOWAS countries still operate in the informal sector, limiting their access to finance and regional markets.
“It is extremely important to integrate small and medium businesses into the regional value chain. About 90 per cent of our people operate in the informal sector, making it difficult to properly capture and support them. This meeting is aimed at improving the integration of goods and services, increasing financing for small businesses and strengthening infrastructure,” he added.
Also speaking, Liberian lawmaker Hon. Taa Wongbe urged ECOWAS governments to move beyond commitments by enforcing existing agreements, dismantling unnecessary trade barriers and strengthening regional cooperation.
He lamented that decades after the adoption of regional integration policies, traders and travellers still face the same bottlenecks at border crossings.
“I remember travelling as a young child from Nimba in Liberia through these borders to Benin. Sometimes we spent days and even weeks on the road. Sadly, our mothers are still going through the same experience today,” he said.
Wongbe proposed that the ECOWAS Parliament establish a fact-finding committee to inspect border posts across the region, saying firsthand experience would strengthen lawmakers’ resolve to push governments to eliminate roadblocks and other obstacles to trade.
“I have consistently advocated for a committee that will travel across these borders to experience what ordinary citizens go through. Once we witness these challenges ourselves, we can mount stronger pressure on governments to remove unnecessary roadblocks. These barriers increase the cost of transporting goods and ultimately make products more expensive across the region,” he said.
The lawmakers maintained that full implementation of ECOWAS trade protocols, backed by effective enforcement measures, would strengthen regional integration, expand opportunities for MSMEs, reduce poverty and unemployment, and improve economic competitiveness across West Africa.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV