Enugu State Governor, Mr. Peter Mbah, has urged the Federal Government to establish frameworks that will protect local manufacturers while implementing regional and global trade agreements.

He also called for deliberate reforms to strengthen access to finance for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and ensure Nigeria benefits from the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

Mbah spoke through his Deputy, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai, at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the ETLS, themed “Increasing Intra-Regional Trade through ETLS”, held on Monday at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.

The governor, who described the initiative as a major opportunity to expand trade across the West African region, stressed the need for policies to align with local challenges, especially as it regards infrastructure.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ECOWAS National Unit for choosing Enugu as the venue, noting that the South-East region, known for its strong trading culture and entrepreneurial drive, stood to gain immensely from the scheme.

He, however, cautioned that while regional integration offered new trade opportunities, lessons from the past must not be ignored. and called for the decentralisation of approval powers in development finance institutions such as the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, and NEXIM Bank, to enable quicker access to funding for entrepreneurs.

“For an SME trader in Ogbete Market or Coal Camp seeking finance, applications shouldn’t have to wait for approval from Abuja. The government must restructure policies to empower regional offices to approve facilities for viable businesses. Development finance should be based on business potential, not collateral.”

Ossai also proposed the creation of an ECOWAS Commercial Bank to support regional infrastructure and SMEs. Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, described the workshop as a vital step toward deepening regional integration and empowering small businesses to take advantage of West Africa’s growing market.

She said: “The ETLS is not just a technical instrument but a strategic pillar of West Africa’s integration agenda. It underpins free movement of goods and services and complements the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Southeast Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA), Dr Daniel Ochi, who represented the chamber’s President, Mr Humphrey Ngonadi, pledged the chamber’s commitment to promoting the scheme across the region.

The workshop, organised by the ECOWAS National Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together government officials, SME operators, trade experts, and business leaders from across the region to explore strategies for expanding intra-regional trade and supporting local enterprises.