Foreign Affairs Ministry, ECOWAS sensitise traders on regional trade opportunities
Story by: Regina Bless
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other relevant government agencies, has organised a public sensitisation campaign to educate traders and business operators on regional integration opportunities.
The programme, held on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), formed part of the ECOWAS for All National Citizens Engagement and Public Sensitisation Campaign under the theme, “Bringing ECOWAS Closer to the Citizen: Promoting Awareness, Participation and Opportunities for Regional Integration.”
The campaign aimed to equip traders, transport operators, entrepreneurs and other market participants with practical knowledge of ECOWAS protocols, cross-border trade procedures, and their rights and responsibilities within the sub-region.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, emphasised the importance of educating traders on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), the free movement of persons, travel requirements and cross-border trading procedures.
She encouraged participants to take advantage of opportunities offered by regional integration and share challenges affecting their businesses to enable the relevant institutions to address them.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, also stressed the need to ensure that citizens understood and benefited from regional protocols. He called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to promote trade, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and inclusive development across West Africa.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA), Joseph Pardy, commended the Ministry and its partners for the initiative and called for regular public education on ECOWAS protocols.
He urged traders and other citizens to understand their rights and responsibilities while respecting the laws and regulations of host countries.
A representative of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, speaking on behalf of the Mayor, welcomed the campaign and encouraged participants to actively engage in discussions to improve their business activities within Ghana and across the sub-region.
The programme featured interactive sessions that allowed traders to engage directly with representatives of relevant institutions on customs and immigration requirements, transport regulations, cross-border trade procedures and other challenges affecting their operations.
The sessions also provided participants with the opportunity to seek clarification and obtain practical guidance from the appropriate authorities.
The ECOWAS for All campaign seeks to bring regional integration closer to citizens by raising awareness of their rights and responsibilities while helping them access opportunities within the ECOWAS sub-region.
As part of efforts to extend the initiative to other communities, the team is scheduled to hold another sensitisation programme on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Madina Market in the Greater Accra Region.