FG Urges Manufacturers to Utilize ECOWAS Trade Scheme

The Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified efforts to enhance regional trade integration by encouraging manufacturers to leverage the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) for expanding exports and accessing new markets across West Africa. Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, made this call during an ETLS sensitisation workshop for the North-East zone held in Bauchi on Saturday.

The workshop, themed “Increasing Intra-Regional Trade through the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS),” aimed to promote awareness of the benefits of the ETLS. Enikanolaiye described the ETLS as a vital instrument for strengthening economic cooperation among ECOWAS member states, urging businesses to utilize the scheme to increase production, create jobs, and contribute to economic development.

He emphasized that the ETLS allows access to a market of all 15 ECOWAS member countries, eliminating customs duties on qualifying products. The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s goal of building a $1 trillion economy and encourages local processing of agricultural products to enhance export competitiveness.