By joshua KOCCIMA President Rallies North-Central Businesses To Harness ECOWAS Trade Scheme, As Kogi Unveils Free Trade Zone, Airport Plans
The President of the Kogi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, KOCCIMA, Dr. Akerejola Demiloye, has called on businesses in the North-Central geopolitical zone to take strategic advantage of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, ETLS, to expand market access, boost competitiveness and drive regional economic growth.
Dr. Demiloye, who was represented by the Deputy President 1 of the Chamber, Comr. Rajaun Suleiman, made the call in his goodwill message at the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme One-Day Sensitisation Workshop for the North-Central geopolitical zone held on Monday at the Banquet Hall, Kogi State Government House, Lokoja.
With the theme “Harnessing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme to Promote Nigeria’s Intra-Regional Trade and Economic Growth,” the workshop was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the ECOWAS National Unit.
Dr. Demiloye commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the ECOWAS National Unit for the timely engagement, describing it as strategic to deepening stakeholders’ understanding of the Scheme and strengthening Nigeria’s participation in regional trade.
He said the choice of Lokoja as venue was significant, given Kogi’s strategic location connecting major commercial centres and providing opportunities for movement of goods, services, agricultural produce and industrial products.
According to him, while ETLS presents enormous opportunities for market expansion and increased production, its benefits cannot be fully realised if manufacturers, exporters and MSMEs lack adequate knowledge of product eligibility, rules of origin, approval procedures and documentation requirements.
He said the workshop was crucial in bridging the information gap between trade policies and business realities, urging government agencies to sustain collaboration with Chambers of Commerce to ensure that knowledge translates into practical business opportunities.
The KOCCIMA President advocated that information on ETLS be made accessible at State and Local Government levels, particularly for agricultural producers, agro-processors, manufacturers and young entrepreneurs, stressing the need for practical assistance in product registration, certification, standards compliance and customs documentation.
He noted that Kogi’s agricultural potential and mineral resources provide strong foundation for regional trade, but added that trade liberalisation must be accompanied by improved productive capacity, reliable infrastructure, access to finance and transparent procedures.
As the apex Chamber in the state, he reaffirmed KOCCIMA’s commitment to promoting trade, supporting enterprise development and advocating an enabling environment, assuring of its readiness to collaborate with NACCIMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regulatory agencies and sister Chambers to disseminate ETLS information and connect Nigerian enterprises to the West African market.
He said the success of the scheme should be measured not by policies alone, but by the number of businesses empowered to trade, jobs created and economic value generated.
The workshop also featured declarations by the Kogi State Government on its readiness to become a major centre for international trade.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, FCA, said Kogi’s location at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, its extensive agricultural resources, solid mineral deposits and road networks connecting major economic centres provide enormous opportunities for the state to serve as a gateway for regional trade and investment.
The Governor disclosed that his administration’s 32-Year Development Plan is designed to transform those advantages into prosperity, unveiling strategic initiatives including the proposed Ajaokuta Free Trade Zone, Agro-Processing Zone and Kogi International Airport to attract investors and connect local businesses to international markets.
He highlighted the Kogi Rebrand Initiative and Invest in Kogi campaign as deliberate efforts to showcase investment opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism and industrial development, urging entrepreneurs to target markets in Accra, Abidjan, Lome and Cotonou.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, described ETLS as a significant instrument for regional integration, disclosing that Nigeria has registered about 3,500 companies and 20,000 products under the scheme, a figure he said is below the country’s potential.
He identified Kogi and North-Central’s abundant agricultural resources including livestock, mangoes, millet, maize, sugar, groundnuts and cashew as opportunities for competitive value-added exports.
In her remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Folashade Ayoade Arike, reaffirmed government’s readiness to embrace international trade, highlighting the importance of the proposed international airport and Lokoja International Market project, and assuring of continued commitment to security as fundamental to business growth.