By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Enugu State governor, Barrister Peter Mbah, has appealed to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and financial institutions to protect local industries to thrive and be positioned to compete with others in the ECOWAS subregion.
Mbah lamented 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 Industry and Bank of Agriculture, demand collateral before granting loans.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Barrister Ifeanyi Ossai, made the appeal in Enugu on Tuesday at a one-day workshop on modalities for participation in the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ECOWAS National Unit in conjunction with the Enugu State Government, at the International Conference Centre, Enugu with the theme:’Increasing Intra Regional Trade Through ETLS’.
Mbah noted that for there to be trade liberalisation, bottlenecks that impede trade expansion have to be removed, pointing out that these include high interest on loan and collateral before credit facility is granted.
He recalled that in time past, companies were doing well, trade was blossoming as Peugeot was producing in Kaduna, shoes were made in Aba and ANAMMCO and other companies were thriving, regretting that now all seem to have nosedived.
Appreciating the hosting of the workshop in Enugu, Mbah noted that manufacturing industries cannot compete favourably in the ECOWAS subregion unless they begin to enjoy steady power supply and obtain financial assistance without high premium on collateral.
He lamented a situation where local entrepreneurs seeking financial assistance have to get approval from Abuja before regional financial institutions can render financial assistance.
“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 framework to assist local industries. We need to protect local manufacturing,” he pleaded.
The governor suggested that banks should 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 urged.
Declaring the workshop open, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, said that the work was a timely one aimed at regional integration through trade.
Ojukwu pointed out that SMEs were the bedrock of business growth and should be assisted to thrive.
“This initiative is timely, 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 said.
She pointed out, “SMEs remain the engine room of our economy; they generate employment, stimulate innovation, and drive inclusive prosperity. Strengthening them is not merely a local concern but a regional imperative, and Enugu stands today as a model for how we can align local dynamism with continental ambitions.
“The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme is not just a technical instrument, it is a strategic pillar of West Africa’s integration agenda. 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.
“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 explained.
“What we do here today is part of a larger vision. We want to see a West Africa where no region and no entrepreneur is left behind. The South-East, with its centuries-old tradition of commerce and enterprise, is 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 said, pointing out that, “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.”
Appreciating the workshop, the President sident, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Power, Odega Jideonwo, described the workshop as a right step in the right direction and expressed wish that after the workshop, goods produced in the South-East could be expressed to other parts of Africa.
“It is a step in the right direction. There are many goods produced in our place but they don’t get to other African countries,” he said and wished that things would improve.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Bianca Ojukwu.
