The Federal Government is seeking to expand Nigerian businesses’ access to the West African market through the effective implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

This was as it moves to address low business participation and barriers limiting regional trade.

The government said only about 3,500 Nigerian companies and 20,000 products had been registered under the scheme, a figure it considers significantly below the country’s productive capacity and potential to benefit from duty-free and quota-free access to markets across the West African sub-region.

Sola Enikanolaiye, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, disclosed this at a sensitisation workshop on the ETLS for the North-Central geopolitical zone held on Monday in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was themed, “Harnessing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme to Promote Nigeria’s Interregional Trade and Economic Growth.”

Enikanolaiye described the ETLS as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s regional integration agenda, designed to promote trade among ECOWAS member states by granting approved products originating from member countries duty-free and quota-free access to the regional market.

He said the scheme was established to strengthen economic cooperation, stimulate industrial growth and support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), but its benefits remained largely untapped because of inadequate awareness, institutional coordination gaps and difficulties navigating registration and certification requirements.

The minister called for increased participation by manufacturers, agricultural producers and MSMEs, stressing that Nigerian businesses needed to take advantage of the regional market to expand production, attract investment and improve their competitiveness.

The low level of registration comes despite Nigeria’s significant economic influence in West Africa, supported by its large population, market size, natural resources, entrepreneurial base and productive capacity.

According to the minister, these advantages position the country to play a leading role in advancing the objectives of both the ETLS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which are intended to deepen trade liberalisation, regional economic integration and sustainable development.

He linked greater participation in the scheme to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, noting that expanding access to regional markets would create opportunities for Nigerian producers to scale operations and increase economic output.

Enikanolaiye also connected the scheme to Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities, known as the 4Ds, Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy and the principle of strategic autonomy, which places national interests and the welfare of Nigerians at the centre of the country’s diplomatic engagements.

He urged businesses in Kogi and other North-Central states to move beyond the production of raw commodities by investing in value addition and integrated industrial production, particularly in agriculture, livestock and mineral resources.

Such investments, he said, would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to compete in the West African market while enabling local businesses to benefit from the opportunities provided by the trade liberalisation scheme.

The minister also urged participants to use the workshop to understand the scheme’s registration procedures, product certification requirements and rules of origin, which determine whether goods qualify for preferential treatment under the ETLS.

Ahmed Usman Ododo, Governor of Kogi State, represented by Salifu Oyibo, his deputy, said the scheme presented an opportunity for the state to expand its economic reach, attract investments and connect local production to markets across West Africa.

He identified Kogi’s strategic geographical location, agricultural and mineral resources, road network and ongoing infrastructure projects as important assets that could support industrial development and increased regional trade.

The governor specifically highlighted the proposed Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone, agro-processing zone and Kogi International Airport as projects capable of improving the state’s economic prospects and creating new opportunities for businesses.

However, he said the ability of Kogi businesses to benefit from regional trade would depend partly on addressing infrastructure and administrative constraints that increase the cost and difficulty of moving goods across state and national borders.

He called for improved transportation infrastructure, stronger collaboration among states and the removal of barriers to legitimate cross-border trade.

These barriers, he said, include multiple checkpoints, inadequate transportation facilities, cumbersome documentation procedures and limited access to trade-related information.

Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investment and enterprise development, while urging businesses in the North-Central region to improve product quality, packaging and certification to meet requirements in the ECOWAS market.

Fola  Iwade, Secretary to the Kogi State Government, also reaffirmed the state’s readiness to support trade and investment through institutional assistance and business facilitation, particularly for MSMEs.

Stakeholders at the workshop further identified transportation and logistics infrastructure as critical to unlocking the region’s trade potential, calling for improvements in rail networks, inland waterways and cargo-handling facilities to facilitate the movement of goods to domestic and international markets.

The organised private sector also called for the removal of non-tariff barriers, while pledging to mobilise businesses, increase awareness of the ETLS and support companies in meeting export requirements.

In his closing remarks, Enikanolaiye said the North-Central region possessed substantial but underutilised resources in agriculture, livestock, solid minerals and manufacturing that could compete beyond Nigeria’s domestic market.

He noted that although businesses, particularly MSMEs, were willing to explore regional trade opportunities, many required clearer information, stronger institutional support and simpler procedures to participate legitimately and competitively.

The minister stressed that regional economic integration should not be treated merely as a diplomatic undertaking but as a practical instrument for creating jobs, increasing incomes and improving livelihoods.

He urged businesses to take concrete steps to register under the scheme, comply with applicable product standards and documentation requirements, and position their products to benefit from preferential access to the ECOWAS market.

He also called on relevant ministries, departments and agencies to provide exporters with timely, transparent and efficient institutional support, warning against unnecessary bureaucratic delays that could undermine businesses’ ability to access regional markets.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to working with the ECOWAS Commission, regulatory agencies, chambers of commerce and industry and the private sector to translate the opportunities offered by the ETLS into measurable economic benefits for Nigerian businesses.