By Chikaodi Chukwuleta

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has declared the Federal Government’s commitment towards unlocking trade liberalisation to ensure growth and prosperity of the country.

The minister made this known over the weekend at a one-day sensitisation workshop on ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), with theme “Exploring the Benefits of ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme in the Region,” organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Anambra State Ministry of Commerce and Industry for manufacturers, importers, exporters, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the five states( Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi) of the Southeast Region in Awka, Anambra State.

 Ambassador Tuggar called on manfacturers and other stakeholders in the region to take advantage of opportunities offered by the ECOWAS Free Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), to boost their businesses.

 Represented by the Director of the Department of International Organization in the ministry, Ambassador Obinna Onowu, the minister enumerated some of the benefits and opportunities offered by ETLS.

According to him,“the primary goal is to establish a customs union among all ECOWAS member states with the ultimate objective of completely eliminating customs duties and implementing a unified customs policy.

“The ETLS represents an ideal opportunity to foster greater economic integration and unlock the immense potential of intra-regional trade.”

He said that the ministry had already organized similar sensitization workshops in Kano, in 2020 and in Lagos, in 2023 for manufacturers, importers, and exporters in the Northwest and Southwest Zones, respectively, adding that the ministry viewed holding the program in the Southeast as very critical due to the huge number of stakeholders in the region.

He explained that ETLS brings to end expending huge resources in export and import duties, especially among ECOWAS member states and revealed that Nigeria has 946 enterprises and over ten thousand products currently.

“By embracing the ETLS, together we will pave the way for Nigerian companies to thrive in the regional market, thereby boosting the influx of foreign exchange and fortifying our economic resilience.

In his remarks, Anambra State Governor,  Prof. Chukwuma Soludo said that he has laid the foundation for businesses to thrive in Anambra through the provision of quality roads and other infrastructural development and has reinvented the ‘Igba Boy’ scheme where young boys are trained in line of businesses to grow, become their own masters and train others.

While hailing the programme as a major means of ensuring free flow of goods and services across borders of ECOWAS member states, Governor Soludo represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, recalled that Anambra state government is building a stable economic state with the introduction of distribution of coconut and palm seedlings which has been an annual event.

 He announced that 1.3million seedlings of coconuts, palm, bitterkola, breadfruit, among others would be distributed across the state.

“We are willing to participate in anything that is transparent and promote business friendly environment in the zone. We must promote all policies to ensure that our integral policies and economic instability can be reversed as gain exposure and export our existing frameworks,” he said.

 Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Oguzor Nwali, also declared the commitment of the zone towards harnessing ELTS and other government initiatives for economic growth.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Christian Udechukwu, said the workshop was organised in the state in line with Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a livable and prosperous state in Nigeria.

Head of ECOWAS Unit in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Zack Yohanna, earlier, identified  numerous business windows and opportunities for the zone to key into, adding that ETLS synergizes with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and that the relationship creates a seamless gateway for free customs duties trade for bona fide manufacturers and traders under ETLS.

In their various presentations, Mr Yohana Kezaks, who spoke on the difference between ECOWAS Trade Liberisation Scheme , ETLS and African Continental Free Trade Area, AFCFTA and Mr Adekunle Obatimehi from Nigeria Export Promotion Council who spoke on ‘Sensitization of Export Incentives’, maintained that there are 15 ECOWAS member states who came together to promote free flow of goods and services across borders to enhance regional integration, infrastructural development, capacity building, institutional strengthening, sustainable development.

They said that it was better to base more on exportation to earn foreign exchange, increase sales and profit volume among other gains.

Mrs Kadiri Halima from NAFDAC also assured that the agency would continue working to promote the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The  President of Southeast and South South Chambers of Commerce, Sir Humphrey Ngonadi,described the event as wonderful and urged the manufacturers from the region to key into the scheme to further develop the zone.