Federal government has been advised by the Nigeria’s Organised Private Sector (OPS), against supporting Morocco bid for ECOWAS membership, since it is a desperate move by some European Union members to have unhindered access to Nigeria market through the back door.

The OPS comprises the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI) and Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME)

In a paper stating their position, tagged ‘Reasons Morocco should not be admitted into ECOWAS’, signed by its Chairman, Frank Jacobs, the group warned that: “The proposed enlistment of Morocco into the membership of ECOWAS regional bloc will adversely affect the manufacturing sector, dispel the industrialisation headways already made, worsen the unemployment and poverty levels in Nigeria.”

“Granting this same country, the membership of ECOWAS affords 28 countries from European Union free access into the regional market thereby flooding the market with EU products and this will weaken the stance of Nigeria on the ECOWAS-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), inhibit Nigerian diversification and stifle the growth of the manufacturing sector through exploitation of Nigerian and ECOWAS market,” he said.

Jacobs said that in view of the envisaged injury which Morocco’s admittance will cause to the economic bloc, especially Nigeria, “OPSN urge the Federal Government, ECOWAS Commission and other stakeholders in the Nigerian economy to reject the application.

“We hereby call on the Nigerian Government to as a matter of national interest and utmost urgency deploys necessary diplomatic machinery to halt Morocco’s application to fully join ECOWAS which was considered by the Community during its June 2017 meeting in Liberia now that the damage has not been done.

“This will enable Nigeria to have a formidable position on or before the first quarter 2018 when the final verdict on the application of Morocco will be concluded.

Jacobs also stated that Moroccan economy is not industrialized and so; one wonders where it will get industrial goods to trade with ECOWAS.

“The Moroccan economy is also largely agrarian, so what will ECOWAS member-states economies that are predominantly agrarian benefit from admitting Morocco into the Community,” he said.