The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has urged Nigerian businesses, particularly those in the North-East, to leverage opportunities created by the country’s foreign policy and participation in regional and continental trade agreements to expand their markets and boost economic growth.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s foreign policy should extend beyond diplomatic engagements and translate into tangible economic benefits for citizens, especially entrepreneurs and businesses operating at the grassroots.
The minister made the remarks on Saturday in Bauchi while speaking at a sensitisation workshop on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), held at the International Conference Centre Hall.
He said the Federal Government was working to close the information gap among businesses on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other trade frameworks capable of providing Nigerian enterprises with access to larger markets.
According to him, many Nigerian businesses were yet to fully understand the requirements, benefits and opportunities available under the AfCFTA, thereby limiting their capacity to compete effectively in the continental market.
Enikanolaiye encouraged businesses to explore opportunities in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and other sectors where Nigeria has comparative advantages, stressing the need for industrialisation and value addition.
He noted that greater awareness and participation in international trade would enable Nigerian enterprises to expand their markets, increase exports and create more employment opportunities.
The minister also urged stakeholders in the North-East to position the region to benefit from regional and continental markets by developing competitive products and strengthening local value chains.
He said sustainable economic and social development could not be achieved without deeper integration into global trade and access to international economic opportunities.
Enikanolaiye added that the Bauchi engagement was aimed at bringing Nigeria’s foreign policy closer to ordinary citizens and demonstrating how the country’s international commitments could translate into concrete economic opportunities and improved livelihoods.
