The Federal Government has urged businesses in Nigeria’s Southeast region to leverage the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to expand their markets and boost regional commerce. Speaking at a sensitisation workshop in Enugu today, Director, ECOWAS National Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olawale Emmanuel Awe, explained that Nigerian manufacturers who register under the scheme can export duty-free to the 12 other member states.
He further reported that despite Nigeria accounting for 36.1 % of companies registered under ETLS, many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) remain unaware of the opportunities. He encouraged business owners to complete registration processes, ensure compliance with rules of origin, and avoid importing goods merely for re-export, which the scheme prohibits.