Bauchi Gov Seeks Removal of Trade Barriers to Boost Regional Commerce, Exports
By Umar Usman Duguri
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has called for practical measures to eliminate trade barriers and facilitate easier access to regional markets for Nigerian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises across the West African sub-region.
The Governor made the call through his Deputy, Muhammed Auwal Jatau, while declaring open a one-day sensitisation workshop on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) held at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre in Bauchi.
Governor Mohammed said the successful implementation of the ETLS must go beyond policy discussions and translate into concrete measures that would enable producers, processors, traders, transport operators and business associations to participate effectively in regional commerce.
He identified delays in export processing, border bottlenecks, multiple checkpoints, inadequate transportation infrastructure, non-tariff barriers and limited access to reliable trade information as some of the factors increasing the cost of doing business.
According to him, these challenges disproportionately affect smaller businesses, which often lack the resources and institutional capacity required to navigate complex trade procedures and regulatory requirements.
The Governor noted that Bauchi State is richly endowed with agricultural, mineral and industrial resources, stressing that its farmers, manufacturers, processors, traders, cooperatives and young entrepreneurs stand to benefit significantly from access to wider regional markets.
He urged stakeholders to maximise the ETLS platform by improving public awareness, strengthening understanding of certification and product standards, identifying barriers confronting businesses and developing practical solutions to facilitate cross-border trade.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, urged Nigerians, particularly farmers, manufacturers, processors and owners of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to take full advantage of the ECOWAS trade scheme to expand their access to regional markets.
The Minister described the ETLS as a critical instrument for regional economic integration, providing preferential access to markets for qualifying products originating from ECOWAS member states.
He said the scheme also has the potential to promote industrial growth, facilitate cross-border trade, strengthen MSMEs and contribute to sustainable economic development across the region.
In a goodwill message, the President of the Bauchi State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Alhaji Aminu Muhammad, stressed that the benefits of the ETLS should not be restricted to large corporations.
He called for greater inclusion of women entrepreneurs, young business owners, youth cooperatives and MSMEs in the implementation and benefits of the scheme.
Aminu urged stakeholders to measure the success of the ETLS not merely by the number of sensitisation programmes conducted, but by tangible outcomes, including the number of businesses registered under the scheme, new exporters emerging, businesses accessing new regional markets and jobs created.
He stressed that the Northeast should not remain primarily a destination for goods produced elsewhere, but should evolve into a major centre of production, processing and export.
He said unlocking the region’s productive capacity through improved infrastructure, market access and effective implementation of regional trade policies would strengthen local businesses while contributing to Nigeria’s broader economic growth.
The workshop brought together relevant government institutions, business associations and other stakeholders to deepen awareness of the ETLS and explore ways of enabling businesses in Bauchi and the wider Northeast to take greater advantage of opportunities within the ECOWAS regional market.
