MORE than four decades after the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) was introduced, Nigerian exporters are still facing significant barriers to accessing West African markets, with border restrictions and cumbersome procedures undermining the regional trade regime.
The concerns were raised at the 9th Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group (MANEG) in Lagos, where exporters called for stronger enforcement of ECOWAS trade rules.
Launched in 1978, the ETLS was designed to promote intra-regional trade by allowing qualifying products manufactured within ECOWAS to move across member states without customs duties.
However, Alhaji Sadan Ladan of Dangote Group said implementation remained problematic in several countries, particularly those affected by political instability.
He identified Niger Republic, Burkina Faso and Guinea among the countries where exporters face stringent documentation requirements and delays in the movement of goods.
Ladan described Niger as a “no-go area” for Nigerian exporters, saying trade along the corridor to Niamey had virtually stopped.
He also cited Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire as markets where Nigerian businesses encounter various trade-related obstacles.
He criticised Nigerian agencies responsible for trade facilitation, including the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NACCIMA, for failing to provide adequate support to exporters facing such barriers.
Kola Awe, CEO of XPT Logistics and chairman of the NACCIMA Export Group, said Nigeria must rethink how it connects its manufacturers to regional markets.
He argued that the country’s earlier focus on import substitution, rather than export-oriented industrialisation, contributed to the dominance of foreign trading houses in West African distribution networks.
“Chairman of MANEG, Ruth Owojaiye, said exporters needed a more predictable operating environment, urging the Federal Government to improve access to export finance and infrastructure while simplifying export procedures and maintaining incentives for export-oriented manufacturers.”
Awe urged Nigerian businesses to exploit preferential trade arrangements, including China’s two-year zero-tariff window for African goods, Britain’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He also recommended greater use of authorised economic operator status, dedicated truck call-up systems and trade houses to improve the movement of goods.
According to Awe, Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, high interest rates and logistics expenses continue to undermine the competitiveness of locally manufactured goods.
He said poor roads, port congestion and limited rail capacity were contributing to lengthy cargo dwell times and higher export costs.
He noted that only about 10,000 of 2.1 million containers were moved by rail in 2025, while dwell time at Apapa and Tin Can Island ports could reach two months.
Chairman of MANEG, Ruth Owojaiye, said exporters needed a more predictable operating environment, urging the Federal Government to improve access to export finance and infrastructure while simplifying export procedures and maintaining incentives for export-oriented manufacturers.
The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the cumulative effect of high energy, finance, transportation and tax costs was making Nigerian products less competitive internationally.
“These costs increase the price of Nigerian-manufactured products and make them less competitive in international markets,” he said.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said Nigeria must transition from exporting raw commodities to producing more manufactured and value-added goods.
Represented by a ministry director, Nura Yusuf, the minister said the government was implementing trade facilitation reforms, including the Nigeria Single Window Trade Portal, NAFDAC e-licensing and SON services, alongside support programmes administered through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.She described AfCFTA as a $3.4 trillion market of 1.4 billion people, but stressed that access to the market must be matched by productivity, standards compliance and adherence to rules of origin.
Meanwhile, NEPC Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, said Nigeria recorded its highest-ever non-oil export volume and value in 2025, with increases in the number of products and destinations.
She said value-added goods accounted for more than 50 per cent of shipments and stressed the need to expand production through backward integration, stronger quality standards and coordinated production clusters.
Ayeni noted that Nigeria is a major producer of shea, cassava, cocoa and cashew but has yet to fully translate its production capacity into export competitiveness.
She added that the NEPC was working with the World Trade Organisation and International Trade Centre to support exporters with certifications, including FDA, HACCP and ISO 22000.
