Nigeria’s Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has urged business operators in the North-East subregion to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their markets and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Shola Enikanolaiye, made the assertion while speaking at a one-day sensitisation workshop on ETLS held in Bauchi on Saturday.
The Minister of State said the scheme provides duty-free access for qualifying products originating from ECOWAS member states.
He said greater awareness, compliance and effective implementation of ETLS would enable Nigerian manufacturers, farmers, agro-processors, and small and medium-scale businesses to benefit from the regional market.
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He further said the workshop, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was aimed at bridging the information gap between the opportunities provided by ETLS and businesses’ knowledge of the scheme.
The Minister also linked the effective implementation of ETLS to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030, stressing the need for increased production, industrialisation and export competitiveness.
Established in 1979, the Minister told the gathering that its goal is to boost industrial growth and economic integration across the 15 member states, adding that the programme is strategic to the North-East subregion for economic diversification and prosperity.
In his address at the opening of the meeting, Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, emphasised that the state and other North-Eastern states must begin to see regional integration as an economic opportunity rather than merely a diplomatic concept.
Represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Auwal Jatau, he said the subregion has vast agricultural, livestock, mineral and industrial resources that could be transformed into competitive products for the West African market.
Bala Mohammed identified border delays, multiple checkpoints, inadequate transport infrastructure, non-tariff barriers and limited access to accurate trade information as some of the challenges confronting businesses.
He said the state government would continue to support policies that improve the business environment, attract investment and create employment opportunities.
Bala Mohammed said the programme falls in line with his administration’s blueprint for commerce, industry, mines and agriculture.
While assuring the Federal Government of his administration’s continued readiness to partner in that regard, the Governor urged participants to make the best use of the opportunity for sustainable economic growth and development.
While welcoming the participants, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Ali Gombe, said Bauchi was chosen to host the workshop because of its strategic position and economic potential within the North-East.
Represented at the event by a senior official of the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary said the participation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and other stakeholders from the subregion was critical to increasing the North-East’s contribution to Nigeria’s regional trade objectives.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that the successful implementation of ETLS requires collaboration among the federal and state governments, businesses and regulatory institutions.
Also speaking, the President of the Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Alhaji Aminu Mohammed, lauded the Ministry for organising the workshop, saying it would go a long way in further exposing the abundant resources of the subregion to the outside world.
In his remarks, the President of the North-East Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, lauded the Federal Government for the initiative, saying it would support various economic revival efforts across the six states of the North-East geopolitical zone and pledging their continued support.
The workshop brought together stakeholders from across the North-East subregion, with discussions focused on strengthening regional trade, improving compliance and connecting businesses in the North-East to wider West African markets.
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