By Simon Agbovi
Kasoa (C/R), May 15, GNA – The General Secretary of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Mrs Gifty Fianu, has called for stronger implementation of regional trade agreements under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as Ghanaian traders continue to face frustrating trade barriers within the sub-region.
Speaking at the 2025 West African Automotive Show (WASS) in Lagos, Mrs Fianu highlighted the opportunities the event presented for the Ghanaian spare parts industry.
“It helped us get investors and suppliers,” she noted, adding that, “This year’s Show is unique because it was designed to make business easier for us. We in Ghana don’t have that much capital, and so we need partners. And this platform presented the best opportunity for us.”
Despite the progress made through platforms like the automotive show, Mrs Fianu raised concerns about ongoing trade challenges.
“One of the key issues is with ECOWAS is that Nigerians have refused to accept the ECOWAS travel certificate, and that is very frustrating,” she said.
“Again, there is another challenge when you import from African countries under AfCFTA.”
She emphasised that while African countries continued to champion regional trade integration, practical implementation remained weak.
“The AfCFTA programme is not working as expected. We urge our leaders to follow the ECOWAS treaty and make things work better,” Mrs. Fianu said, calling on policymakers to remove bottlenecks that hamper cross-border trade.
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association represented one of the largest automotive parts markets in West Africa, and their participation at the regional event underscored the growing importance of intra-African trade in boosting local economies.
GNA
AT/LAA