Kogi poised to develop into West Africa’s commerce, industrial hub – Minister

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye,  Monday recognized Kogi state and different North central states as having monumental potential to drive regional commerce and financial integration in West Africa, urging companies to make the most of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to entry wider African markets.

Enikanolaiye acknowledged this Tuesday in Lokoja on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme Sensitization Workshop for the North Central Geopolitical Zone, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ECOWAS Commission.

He described the scheme as a major instrument for regional financial integration, stating that it gives qualifying merchandise originating from ECOWAS member state’s preferential entry to markets throughout the sub-region.

The minister acknowledged that Nigeria had registered roughly 3,500 firms and 20,000 merchandise underneath the scheme, including that the figures remained beneath the nation’s potential in comparison with the efficiency of another ECOWAS member states.

He recognized the ample agricultural sources in Kogi and different North central states, together with livestock, mangoes, millet, maize, sugar, groundnuts and cashew, as viable alternatives for creating aggressive, value-added merchandise for export.

He urged contributors to make use of the workshop to familiarise themselves with product registration, guidelines of origin, certification and different necessities for accessing regional markets.

He mentioned elevated commerce amongst African nations wouldn’t solely stimulate financial progress but in addition strengthen cooperation, deepen relationships and promote peace and safety throughout the continent.

In his welcome deal with, the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, represented by his deputy, Joel Oyibo, declared the state’s readiness to emerge as a serious centre for worldwide commerce, industrial manufacturing, agricultural processing and industrial trade in West Africa.