In a bid to boost cross-border trade and promote market growth across West Africa, the Federal Government has urged business owners in Nigeria’s Southeast to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).
The scheme targets micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as large-scale manufacturers, providing duty-free access to markets in 12 ECOWAS member states.
Speaking during a one-day sensitisation workshop on Tuesday in Enugu, Ambassador Olawale Emmanuel Awe of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the scheme facilitates the free movement of goods produced within ECOWAS countries without customs duties.
However, he clarified that the initiative strictly prohibits the re-exportation of foreign goods.
“We don’t want a situation where imports from China are re-exported. Only products genuinely made in Nigeria are eligible,” he stated.
Awe described the ETLS as one of the foundational treaties of ECOWAS, established in 1975 to ensure the free movement of goods and services and to foster regional prosperity through economic integration.
He stressed that businesses must undergo a formal registration process to benefit from the scheme. To qualify, business owners are required to submit samples of their products for evaluation by the National Approval Committee, which comprises representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NAFDAC, Customs, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Export Group, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Following this, a factory inspection is conducted to confirm that the products are genuinely Nigerian-made.
The Federal Government has continued to intensify efforts to promote the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme across the country by organising workshops to educate business owners on participation and to help them expand their market reach within the West African region.
By Miracle Chidinma Amaechi
