Business
Nigerians Demand More Awareness On Trade Liberalisation Scheme
Participants at a sensitisation programme of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have called for more awareness on the
commission’s protocols on trade liberalisation and partnership agreement.
The three-day sensitisation was organised in Lagos by the
ECOWAS Commission in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The sensitisation, was on “Protocols, Conventions and
Activities of the ECOWAS Integration Processes in Nigeria’’.
Mr Gabriel Ekpo, Export Manager, Flour Mills of Nigeria,
said that many traders were ignorant of the Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS)
and EU-ECOWAS Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
He said that Nigeria particularly should enlighten its
citizens more on the protocols and the agreement.
He said that Nigeria controlled over 70 per cent of trade in
West Africa and had 499 approved companies as such should employ ETLS as a tool
to boost trade.
Ekpo said that nothing much had been achieved in the
implementation of the ETLS due to reluctance of some ECOWAS member-states to
domesticate the protocol and accept ETLS approved products.
He also decried the delay in processing ETLS forms as well
as difficulty in completing the forms.
The export manager said that processing of the forms should
not exceed 90 days.
A Deputy Controller of Customs, Mr Samuel Nkenchor, who
represented the Nigeria Customs Service, also urged more sensitisation to
facilitate free movement of goods in West Africa.
Nkenchor, who is in charge of the Murtala Muhammed
Internationa Airport Command, said that there was the need to educate traders
of the benefits in ETLS and EPA.
He said that this could be achieved through seminars and
workshops.
He spoke on “Nigeria’s Perspective on the ECOWAS Trade
Liberalisation Scheme’’.
The deputy controller said that such awareness would
facilitate free movement of goods and boost trade within the West African sub
region.
He explained that there were rules and regulation governing
the ETLS, and traders should ensure that their goods were qualified for the
scheme before pushing for it.
Nkenchor said that under ETLs, goods were granted total
exemption from import duties and taxes, but that such goods must meet the laid
down conditions.
He said that the conditions included that such goods must
originate from ECOWAS member-states and should be either unprocessed goods,
traditional handicraft or industrial goods.
The Director of Communications, ECOWAS Commission, Mr Sunny
Ugo, said that Nigeria had not made the necessary internal sensitisation that
would build a consensus as to how to respond to the EPA.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.