The General Secretary of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Mrs. Gifty Fianu, has called on regional leaders to take concrete action to ease trade within West Africa, citing persistent issues with cross-border movement and imports.
Speaking in an interview at the 2025 West African Automotive Show (WAAS) in Lagos, Mrs. Fianu highlighted pressing challenges, particularly with the ECOWAS travel certificate.
“Nigerians have refused to accept it, and that is very frustrating,” she said. “Also, importing from other African countries under AfCFTA is not working smoothly.”
Mrs. Fianu urged African governments to go beyond merely endorsing trade agreements.
“While we champion AfCFTA, we expect it to work better. Our leaders must follow through with the ECOWAS treaty,” she stressed.
On the WAAS event, she said it has provided a valuable platform for the association to connect with suppliers and investors.
“It helped us get investors and suppliers,” she noted. “This year is unique — it’s aimed at making business easier for us. We in Ghana lack significant capital, so we need partners, and the event presents such opportunities.”
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association represents one of West Africa’s largest auto parts markets and plays a crucial role in promoting intra-African trade.
