FG Advocates Removal Of Non-Tariff Barriers To Boost Intra-West African Trade
Nigeria is set to host the Fourth African Union (AU) MSME Forum in Abuja from Monday, June 23, to Friday, June 27, 2025, as stakeholders across Africa gather to address critical challenges facing small businesses, particularly access to affordable financing, digital transformation, and market expansion.
This came as 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 MSME Forum, organised by the African Union Commission, will bring together delegates from over 50 African nations to explore ways of strengthening intra-African trade and enhancing the contribution of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to the continent’s economic growth.
Speaking at a press briefing at the State House, Abuja, on Friday, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the forum aims to foster strategic partnerships that will empower MSMEs and deepen value chains across Africa.
“The principal objective is to empower MSMEs, develop intra-African value chains, and strengthen policies for sustainable development,” he said, urging Nigerian stakeholders to seize the opportunity to build investment networks and market linkages.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, described the event as a major step in opening Nigeria’s economy to the world.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s approval to host the forum underscores his administration’s commitment to positioning Nigeria as a hub for investment and business.
Calling on the media to support the success of the event, Idris stated that “this is one of the first platforms to show the world that Nigeria is rising again and open for business.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, expressed confidence that the forum would positively impact Nigeria’s cultural and tourism sectors.
She said the event aligns with the government’s “Destination Nigeria” campaign aimed at rebranding the country through cultural and creative initiatives.
Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs and Secretary of the Organising Committee, Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, gave assurance that all was set for a robust forum featuring keynote presentations, panel discussions, tech showcases, exhibitions, and networking opportunities for businesses.
He disclosed that the highlight of the forum would be the MSME Awards, which would include cash prizes, stores, and houses for outstanding entrepreneurs.
“The President’s approval to host this event reflects his belief in the critical role MSMEs play in job creation, economic growth, and poverty reduction, key pillars of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he noted.
Heads of key institutions, including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), have pledged their full support to ensure the event’s success.
The opening ceremony will hold on June 23 at the State House Banquet Hall, while technical sessions and exhibitions are scheduled to take place at the Abuja Continental Hotel from June 24 to 26.
The forum will conclude with the MSME Awards and grand finale at the State House Banquet Hall.
NTBs are trade restrictions that do not involve taxes or duties but still limit international trade. These include, quotas, import licences, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other technical barriers.
Presenting a keynote address at the maiden West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025 held in Abuja, on Friday, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole, decried the negative impacts of the barriers on African trade, saying there was a need for African countries, especially the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to work together with purpose and clarity.
“Break down the tariff and non-tariff barriers that continue to choke the movement of goods, services and people,” Oduwole charged. “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.”
She regretted that in spite of the unique position of Africa 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.
She added: “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 is still desired to enhance regional trade among our countries. The vision of one market is not simply an ideal, it’s a necessity.”
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 AfCFTA.
“In April 2025, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval, we gazetted our provisional schedule of tariff concessions for trading goods under the 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 in her welcome address, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the two-day meeting was 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 the people.
She said: “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. 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.”
The Summit, which closes on Saturday, 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.
