Nigeria targets wider access to West African markets

… FG urges businesses to exploit ECOWAS trade scheme By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja LOKOJA — The Federal Government has urged Nigerian manufacturers, farmers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their businesses into West African markets. The government said increased regional trade was critical to economic growth, integration and stability across the sub-region.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call at the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme Sensitisation Workshop for the North-Central zone, held in Lokoja, Kogi State, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission. Enikanolaiye disclosed that Nigeria had registered about 3,500 companies and 20,000 products under the scheme, but said the figures remained below the country’s potential compared with the performance of some other ECOWAS member states.

He urged Nigerian businesses to exploit the scheme, which grants qualifying products originating from member countries preferential access to regional markets, to increase exports, expand production and improve the country’s competitiveness. The minister identified the agricultural potential of Kogi and other North-Central states as an opportunity to develop products for regional and international markets.

He listed livestock, mangoes, millet, maize, sugar, groundnuts and cashew as commodities that could be processed into value-added products for export to other West African countries. Enikanolaiye urged participants to use the workshop to familiarise themselves with product registration procedures, rules of origin, certification and other requirements for accessing preferential markets under the scheme.

“Expanding trade among African countries would not only promote economic cooperation but also strengthen relationships among nations and contribute to peace and security across the continent,” he said. The minister’s appeal comes as Kogi State seeks to position itself as a centre for regional commerce, industrial production and agricultural processing, leveraging its geographical location and natural resources.

Welcoming participants, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo said the state’s location at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, agricultural resources, solid mineral deposits and road networks connecting major economic centres offered significant opportunities for trade and investment. Ododo said his administration’s 32-year development plan was designed to translate these advantages into sustainable economic prosperity.

He disclosed that the proposed Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone, Agro-Processing Zone and Kogi International Airport were among the strategic projects being pursued to attract investors, expand production capacity and connect local businesses to international markets. The governor also highlighted the Kogi Rebrand Initiative and Invest in Kogi campaign as efforts to showcase investment opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism and industrial development.

He urged farmers, manufacturers, miners, processors and entrepreneurs in the state to look beyond the domestic market and prepare their products for consumers across West Africa, particularly in Accra, Abidjan, Lome and Cotonou. Ododo commended President Bola Tinubu for his economic reform agenda, saying policy consistency, local production and an enabling business environment were necessary to build a competitive economy.

He assured that the state would continue to complement Federal Government initiatives through infrastructure development, investment promotion and enterprise support. Also speaking, the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Dr Folashade Ayoade Arike, reaffirmed the state’s readiness to participate in international trade, describing regional market access as an opportunity to expand the commercial potential of local businesses.

Ayoade identified the proposed international airport and the ongoing Lokoja International Market project as important infrastructure for facilitating the movement of goods and connecting businesses to wider markets. She appealed to the Federal Government to support the completion of critical infrastructure projects that would strengthen the state’s commercial capacity.

The SSG also assured participants of the state government’s commitment to security, describing it as a fundamental requirement for successful business operations and investment.