The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) Sensitization Workshop will hold in Enugu on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, bringing together key players in the South East business community to explore opportunities for increased regional trade.
The ETLS, established in 1979, serves as a major instrument for economic integration within West Africa, promoting duty-free access for goods produced within member states and encouraging the growth of intra-regional trade.
According to Dr. Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the effective implementation of the ETLS is expected to reduce import dependency, foster entrepreneurship, and enhance job creation across the region.
Eze revealed that Nigeria accounts for 36.1% of the total registered companies under the scheme, with 3,146 companies and over 6,000 certified products. In 2024 alone, 800 companies and 419 products were registered. Despite this, he noted, the ETLS remains largely underutilized due to low awareness among businesses, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and public sector operators.
He explained that the Enugu sensitization workshop aims to address this gap by educating stakeholders on the benefits, eligibility, and implementation processes of the scheme. The programme will also provide training on rules of origin, certification, and proper documentation to improve compliance and access to duty-free exports within the ECOWAS region.
“The workshop will help participants understand how to process ETLS documentation and obtain Certificates of Origin, which are crucial for benefiting from duty-free trade,” Eze added, emphasizing that ETLS applications in Nigeria are processed free of charge.
Organised by the ECOWAS National Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Enugu State Government, the one-day event is themed “Increasing Intra-Regional Trade through ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme.”
Expected participants include entrepreneurs, SMEs, members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Women in Business, exporters’ clubs, and agro-allied processors.
Enugu State Governor, Barr. Peter Mbah, will serve as Chief Host, while the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, will host the event at the International Conference Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encouraged the South East business community to seize the opportunity to learn how to export their products duty-free to West African markets.
