Gov Mohammed Calls For Removal Of Trade Barriers To Boost West African Commerce

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has called for the removal of trade barriers hindering Nigerian businesses from accessing markets across the West African sub-region.

The Governor made the call in a speech delivered by his Deputy, Muhammad Auwal Jatau, at a sensitisation workshop on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) held at the International Conference Centre Hall on Saturday in Bauchi.

He said the implementation of the scheme must translate into practical opportunities for producers, processors, traders, transport operators and business associations seeking to participate in regional commerce.

Governor Bala identified delays in export processing, border bottlenecks, multiple checkpoints, inadequate transport infrastructure, non-tariff barriers and poor access to reliable trade information as major obstacles increasing the cost of doing business.

According to him, the challenges disproportionately affect small businesses, which often lack the capacity to navigate complicated trade procedures.

He said Bauchi had significant agricultural, mineral and industrial resources that could position the state as a major player in regional trade.

The Governor urged stakeholders to use the ETLS platform to identify barriers, improve awareness of certification and product standards and develop workable solutions that would enable more businesses to export.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, urged farmers, manufacturers, processors and MSMEs to take advantage of ETLS to gain access to regional markets.

He described the scheme as an important instrument for ECOWAS economic integration, providing preferential market access for qualifying products originating from member states.

President of the Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Alhaji Aminu Muhammad, said ETLS must benefit not only large corporations but also women, young entrepreneurs, cooperatives and MSMEs.

He said the success of the scheme should be measured by increased business registrations, exports, access to new markets and job creation.