The Federal Government has begun a nationwide sensitisation drive aimed at helping Nigerian businesses understand and take advantage of trading opportunities available under regional and continental free-trade frameworks, starting with entrepreneurs and business groups in the North-East.
The initiative, implemented through the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), opened in Bauchi with a workshop that brought together business owners, entrepreneurs and representatives of chambers of commerce. The programme is designed to improve awareness of the procedures and opportunities available to Nigerian producers seeking access to markets within the Economic Community of West African States and under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said the Federal Government wanted to make its foreign policy more directly beneficial to Nigerians, particularly those operating businesses and creating employment outside the country’s major commercial centres.
Speaking at the workshop, Enikanolaiye said the initiative would provide businesses with information needed to participate more effectively in regional and continental trade.
“The initiative will educate Nigerian businesses on opportunities within ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
The workshop, themed “Increasing Intra-Regional Trade through ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS),” is part of the government’s 4D foreign policy agenda, which places Nigerian citizens at the centre of the country’s external relations.
Programme to cover six geopolitical zones
According to the minister, Bauchi is only the starting point of the sensitisation exercise, which is expected to reach all six geopolitical zones.
The Federal Government is placing particular emphasis on encouraging businesses to increase production, add value to locally produced goods and use expanded market access to create employment opportunities.
Enikanolaiye said the focus on production and value addition was especially important for young Nigerians, who stand to benefit from increased economic activity and employment opportunities generated by stronger trade links.
The government’s approach is to use the country’s foreign economic relationships to create opportunities for domestic businesses rather than treating foreign policy as an issue confined to diplomatic engagements.
The ETLS is central to that objective because it provides a framework for eligible products to move within the ECOWAS region under preferential trade arrangements.
The sensitisation effort is therefore intended to close an information gap that has prevented some businesses from fully understanding how the scheme works and what they need to do to benefit from it.
FG highlights economic reforms
Enikanolaiye also used the Bauchi workshop to discuss the broader state of the Nigerian economy.
He said reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu had produced greater economic stability, while inflation was gradually declining. The minister also said Nigeria’s foreign reserves were approaching $40 billion.
The comments formed part of the government’s broader presentation of its economic reform programme and its efforts to strengthen the country’s position in international trade.
For businesses, however, greater access to regional markets depends not only on government trade policy but also on the ability of producers and exporters to meet market requirements, obtain the necessary documentation and move goods efficiently across borders.
That makes practical understanding of the ETLS particularly important for small and medium-sized businesses that may have limited experience with cross-border trade procedures.
Bauchi backs private-sector expansion
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, represented at the workshop by his Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau, pledged the state government’s support for the programme.
Mohammed said Bauchi was prepared to use the ETLS initiative as part of efforts to diversify the state’s economy and strengthen private-sector development.
The governor stressed that government could not create sustainable prosperity on its own and argued that businesses must be supported to produce, invest and innovate.
“Government alone cannot create sustainable prosperity,” he said.
He also welcomed the decision to bring the sensitisation programme to the North-East, saying greater awareness of the trade scheme could strengthen relationships across the region’s commercial chain.
That network includes producers, processors, traders, transport operators and business associations, all of whom play roles in moving locally produced goods from farms and factories to domestic and regional markets.
For Bauchi, participation in the initiative provides an opportunity to expose local businesses to markets beyond the state while encouraging private-sector actors to increase production and develop more competitive products.
Chamber identifies barriers facing businesses
While welcoming the government initiative, the President of the Bauchi State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mining and Agriculture (BASCIMA), Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki, used the workshop to highlight obstacles that businesses encounter when attempting to trade across borders.
Danmaliki said companies continue to face problems including delays at borders, multiple checkpoints, unofficial charges, differing interpretations of customs requirements and difficulties obtaining and managing trade documentation.
He also identified a major awareness problem, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Many small and medium-sized enterprises do not even know that the scheme exists or how they can benefit from it,” he said.
The chamber president’s comments suggest that simply creating preferential trading arrangements may not be enough to increase regional commerce if businesses are unable to navigate the procedures required to access those benefits.
He therefore called for the ETLS application process to be simplified and fully digitalised.
Businesses seek single digital platform
Danmaliki proposed the creation of a single digital platform through which businesses could submit applications, monitor their progress and verify certificates.
Such a system, he argued, would make it easier for businesses to complete the required processes while reducing some of the administrative difficulties associated with cross-border trade.
The proposal would also give businesses greater visibility over the status of their applications and documentation rather than requiring them to navigate multiple processes.
The BASCIMA president further called on ECOWAS to establish a rapid-response mechanism through which businesses could report cases involving the unlawful detention of approved goods.
His recommendation reflects concerns about what happens after businesses obtain the necessary approval and attempt to move qualifying products across regional borders.
He also urged that sufficient funding be provided for the operation of the ETLS, arguing that the scheme needs adequate institutional support to deliver the benefits expected from it.
North-East businesses seek permanent support system
Beyond the Bauchi workshop, Danmaliki proposed the establishment of a permanent North-East ETLS Help Desk through chambers of commerce across the six states in the geopolitical zone.
The proposed help desks would provide businesses with practical assistance in understanding the scheme, preparing applications and navigating the requirements associated with regional trade.
Such a structure could also serve as a direct link between businesses and relevant authorities when traders encounter documentation, certification or border-related problems.
The call highlights one of the central issues identified during the sensitisation exercise: awareness must be accompanied by practical support if smaller businesses are to participate effectively.
The Federal Government’s decision to begin the programme in the North-East is intended to bring information about ECOWAS and AfCFTA opportunities closer to businesses that may otherwise have limited access to specialised trade guidance.
The programme will subsequently move across the remaining geopolitical zones, according to Enikanolaiye.
The government hopes the exercise will encourage more Nigerian businesses to increase production, add value to local products and explore markets beyond Nigeria.
For businesses in the North-East, the success of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether greater awareness is matched by simpler procedures, reliable certification, efficient border processes and practical assistance.
The Bauchi workshop has therefore opened a broader conversation about how Nigeria can translate regional and continental trade agreements into tangible opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs.
While the Federal Government is promoting ETLS and AfCFTA as vehicles for increased intra-African commerce, business groups are pressing for the administrative and border barriers that can undermine those opportunities to be addressed at the same time.
FG Targets North-East Businesses With ECOWAS, AfCFTA Trade Opportunities
