The Federal Government has called for the removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) limiting intra-West African trade, which currently account for less than 15 per cent of the region’s total trade.

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole, made the appeal on Friday in her Keynote Address at the maiden West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025 held in Abuja.

NTBs are trade restrictions that do not involve taxes or duties but still limit international trade. These include quotas, import licenses, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other technical barriers.

Decrying the negative impacts of the barriers on African trade, Oduwole said there is need for African countries, especially the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to work together with purpose and clarity.

“Tariff and non-tariff barriers continue to choke the movement of goods, services and people. Intra-African trade accounts for under 20 per cent of Africa’s total trade, compared to 58 per cent in Asia and 67 per cent in Europe.

“In West Africa specifically, trade among countries remains under 10 per cent, despite shared borders, language clusters, decades of integration efforts and initiatives such as the ETLS and the ECOWAS CET,” Oduwole noted.

She frowned, noting that, despite Africa’s unique position as the youngest and most resource-rich continent, it still holds enormous untapped potential.

The minister, therefore, called for a truly integrated West African marketplace.

“We are the youngest continent and the most resource-rich continent, yet we remain in the early stages of development in infrastructure and industrial systems that will drive our future.

“The time for a truly integrated West African marketplace is now. With a population of over 400 million people and a shared history of enterprise and resilience, West Africa holds enormous untapped potential. Yet, we must acknowledge a fundamental truth.

“Our businesses cannot scale if our markets remain fragmented. While acknowledging the modest gains of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, much remains to be done to enhance regional trade among our countries. The vision of one market is not simply an ideal, it’s a necessity,” she said.

To achieve a unified market, Oduwole canvassed the harmonisation of product standards, alignment of customs procedures, and investment in digital platforms to facilitate seamless trade.

“Today, West African businesses, especially MSMEs, still face high costs at the border, inconsistent duties and bureaucracy, especially on goods that do not qualify under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme. These obstacles make it even more attractive to trade globally than with our own neighbours”, the minister emphasised.

She, however, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA).

“We are fully committed to working with member states and neighbours to accelerate the implementation of preferential tariff regimes on the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“In April 2025, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval, we gazetted our provisional schedule of tariff concessions for trading goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) framework.

“Under his bold leadership, Nigeria is repositioning itself as a premier destination for long-term investment in alignment with the core pillar of the recently adopted AFCFTA Protocol on Investment.

“We have moved with speed and courage to implement most of the ambitious fiscal and monetary and trade policy reforms in recent history, with full subsidy removals and exchange rate unifications, to implementing AFCFTA protocols, to institutional strengthening and fiscal coordination. These reforms are yielding results”, she affirmed.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in her welcome address, stated that the gathering of the two-day meeting is a bold affirmation of the region’s collective will to deepen economic cooperation, unlock immense trade and investment potential, and craft a future of shared prosperity for its people.

“WAES is more than a summit. It is a platform of purpose where policy meets enterprise, where leadership engages innovation, and where West Africa speaks with one voice on the promise of regional integration. Our nations have long engaged not merely as neighbours, but as sisters, brothers, and comrades. Bound by a unique thread that extends across a vast diaspora, uniquely positioning us as leaders on the global stage.

“West African industries have already proven their strength through significant achievements in banking, digital services, agriculture, and extractive industries. We are not here to debate how to build industries; we have shown that we can lead and scale sectors to meet regional demands and enrich global markets.

“The task before us now is to safeguard our regional bloc and drive the expansion of our industries through farsighted integration policies and reforms that reinforce our economic sovereignty,” she said.

WAES 2025, a major regional gathering, aims to chart a transformative course for the sub-region’s economic development.

The Summit, which closes today, brings together regional leaders, policymakers and top business executives to deliberate on strategies to address pressing economic challenges and unlock new opportunities across West Africa.