Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has urged manufacturers and traders in the Southeast to take advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their businesses across West Africa without paying customs duties.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop in Enugu on Tuesday, Head of the ECOWAS National Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olawale Emmanuel Awe, said the scheme offers “a direct opportunity for regional market access and profit growth.”
“The ETLS is primarily designed for MSMEs, large manufacturers, and even small traders with products that can compete within the West African region,” Awe said.
He explained that businesses must register and undergo verification to prove that their products are genuinely made in Nigeria. Imported items for re-export, he stressed, are not eligible.
“Once approved under ETLS, your goods can enter any ECOWAS state without import duties. In effect, selling in Ghana or Senegal becomes as straightforward as selling within Nigeria,” he said.
Despite the Southeast being a major commercial hub, Awe noted that “many traders are still unaware of this gateway to regional expansion.”
The workshop, themed: Increasing Intra-Regional Trade through ETLS, aims to raise awareness and improve participation.
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