By Fredrick Ameh
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has intensified efforts to position Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at the forefront of Nigeria’s non-oil export growth by leveraging the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).
At a stakeholders’ workshop in Lagos, Benedict Itegbe, representing NEPC CEO Nonye Ayeni, highlighted the need for greater SME participation in regional trade. He noted that while the ETLS offers tariff-free access to a market of over 400 million people, many Nigerian businesses are yet to fully utilise its benefits.
Experts at the session stressed that export success goes beyond production, requiring strict compliance with standards, certification, and quality assurance. Adekunle Obatimehin emphasised the importance of understanding rules of origin, documentation, and packaging standards to compete effectively.
Stakeholders identified several persistent challenges hindering Nigeria’s export potential, including limited awareness, weak logistics, financing gaps, and regulatory bottlenecks.
The workshop also underscored the broader issue of low intra-African trade despite frameworks like the ETLS. Participants called for stronger implementation, infrastructure development, and institutional support.
The session concluded with a unified call for collaboration between the government and the private sector to empower SMEs, enhance competitiveness, and unlock Nigeria’s vast non-oil export opportunities across regional and continental markets.