By Tony Adibe
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has said that to make the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country take their rightful place in the West African Market was part of the agenda of the ministry working in partnership with ECOWAS and other government agencies.
Amb. Ojukwu said this on Tuesday in Enugu while declaring open the one-day sensitization workshop on the modalities for participation in ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.
NewsBits reports that the well-attended event themed: “Increasing Intra-Regional Trade Through ETLS” was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ECOWAS National Unit in collaboration with ECOWAS and the Enugu State Government.
NewsBits learnt that the initiative formed part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to promote economic cooperation within the ECOWAS framework, ensuring that Nigerian businesses, particularly those in emerging regions like the South-East, “are not left behind in the evolving landscape.”
The workshop brought together policymakers, business leaders, and trade experts to explore ways to enhance the participation of Nigerian SMEs in regional trade. Amb. Ojukwu spoke at the event just as the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, pleaded with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FMFA), and financial institutions to protect local industries to thrive and be positioned to compete favourably with other ECOWAS subregions.
Ojukwu said that the initiative was a timely one as it “speaks directly to the urgent task before us,” which is to “deepen regional integration, expand cross-border trade, and empower our Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to enable them to take their rightful place in the vast West African market.”
She emphasised that SMEs remained the engine room of “our economy,” as they generate employment, stimulate innovation, and drive inclusive prosperity. According to her, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme “is not just a technical instrument, it is a strategic pillar of West Africa’s integration agenda.”
The minister said: “As the oldest operational trade policy of ECOWAS, it underpins the free movement of goods and services, complements the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, and anticipates the broader framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In essence, ETLS is both a gateway and a test case for Africa’s economic renaissance.”
She commended the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and his cabinet for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements that were put together for the success of this exposition. She added that Enugu’s leadership in fostering innovation and enterprise demonstrated a “forward-looking commitment to inclusive growth and resonates deeply with the objectives of the ECOWAS scheme”.
Ojukwu further said: “For Nigeria, as the largest economy in the region, leadership in this process is not optional; it is expected. Yet, the true measure of success lies not in Abuja or Lagos alone, but in how effectively local entrepreneurs, our traders, manufacturers, and innovators, are enabled to compete and thrive regionally. This workshop, therefore, is about democratizing opportunity, equipping SMEs with the knowledge, skills, and networks to transcend local boundaries and embrace the wider West African market.”
She said that the program was part of a larger vision. “We want to see a West Africa where no region and no entrepreneur is left behind,” Ojukwu said, adding that the South-East, with its centuries-old tradition of commerce and enterprise, was uniquely positioned to benefit from this. “By tapping into ETLS, our SMEs can transform local brilliance into regional competitiveness, and in turn, national strength,” she stressed.
Ojukwu urged all participants to fully engage in these deliberations and seize the opportunity to build partnerships that “will carry your businesses beyond Nigeria’s borders”. According to the minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working with ECOWAS and relevant national agencies, “will continue to prioritize economic diplomacy and trade facilitation, because the prosperity of our people is the ultimate measure of foreign policy.”
Ojukwu said: “As we open this workshop, let us be reminded that regional integration is not an abstract idea. It is about people, jobs, markets, and opportunities. It is about transforming promises into tangible benefits for every Nigerian entrepreneur.”
In his speech, Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai bemoaned the fact that many small-scale industries are not growing because they find it difficult to get financial assistance since financial institutions such as NEXIM, Bank of Industries, and Bank of Agriculture demand collateral before granting loans.
Mbah stressed that for there to be a trade liberalisation, bottlenecks that impede trade expansion have to be removed, such as high interest on loans and collateral before a credit facility is granted.
The Governor regretted that in the time past, companies were doing well, trade was blossoming as Peugeot was producing in Kaduna, shoes were made in Aba, and ANANMCO and other companies were thriving, but now all seem to have nosedived.
Expressing gratitude for the hosting of the workshop in Enugu, Mbah said that manufacturing industries cannot compete favourably among the ECOWAS subregion unless they begin to enjoy a steady power supply and obtain financial assistance without a high premium on collateral.
He bemoaned a situation in which local entrepreneurs seeking financial assistance have to get approval from Abuja before regional financial institutions can render financial assistance.
Mbah said: “I want to thank the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs for deeming it essential to embark on this workshop and for choosing Enugu for this sensitisation workshop. We know that we are traders, and if you talk about SMEs in Nigeria and the subregion, that is the South East Region, that is what we are known for, that is what we are trying to do with the best of our abilities. So, I want to thank you for this initiative. The ETLS will suggest an attempt to regionally expand opportunities for trade, for us and for other countries in our region. We should set up a framework to assist local industries. We need to protect local manufacturing.”
He, however, advocated for a situation in which banks would be compelled to start assisting businesses in the South East to grow. “We ought to compel our banks to start assisting businesses in the South East. We must work to restructure so that we can compete with other ECOWAS countries,” he emphasised.
In his speech, the President of Southeast Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA), Humphrey Ngonadi, expressed gratitude to the minister, Ambassador Ojukwu, and her team for organising the programme in Enugu.
Represented by the Director-General of SECIMA, Dr Daniel Ochi, Ngonadi promised to take down the sensitisation to all the 17 City Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Industry in the five states of Southeast to ensure that the message was taken home.
“During our next council meeting that will be coming up in November, we are going to ensure that whatever information and benefits that ETLS has, we will pass it using any language to our business community to key in”, he said.
On his part, the president of, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Odeiga Jideonwo, added that the initiative would ensure that businesses in the Southeast have access to the ECOWAS market.”
Meanwhile, the president of, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Odeiga Jideonwo, added that the initiative would ensure that businesses in the Southeast would penetrate the ECOWAS market.
He thanked Ojukwu for making sure that people of the southeast region were not left out in the ETLS scheme, predicting that, following the workshop, more West African countries would participate in next year’s Enugu International Trade Fair, which would be held in March.
