Business
‘ECOWAS Has Made Progress Toward Free Movement’
ECOWAS has made tre
mendous progress to ensure free flow of movement of persons, goods and services across borders of the sub region in order to improve integration and development.
Mr Faruok Lawan, an ECOWAS Parliamentarian representing Nigeria and Chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget Control, expressed the view in an interview with newsmen in Abuja. .
Lawan said that ECOWAS had recorded some progress in the quest for a borderless sub-region, as the member states had abolished visas and entry permits and replaced them with ECOWAS passport.
“Prior to the commencement of ECOWAS, you would need a visa before you could visit another ECOWAS country but now you do not really need a visa to travel within West African countries.
“ All you need is just to have an ECOWAS travelling document and you can travel within any of the 15 ECOWAS member states,’’ he said.
Lawan said that movement of goods had been made a bit easier as well, considering that duties were not paid for moving goods from one country to another within the sub-region.
Lawan said that in spite of the developments, there remained numerous hurdles to migration and integration in West Africa, which consequently impeded the development of the region.
He said that numerous road checkpoints made it difficult for community citizens to move freely.