By Maimuna Sey-Jawo
At least 35 Gambian traders completed a day’s training on free movement of people and goods within the Ecowas region
The training was organised by Ecowas Citizen House funded by the African Centre for Trade, Integration and Development (ENDA CACID) and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (Osiwa). They completed the training at the governor’s residence in Brikama, West Coast Region.
They are now hoping the training will help equip Gambian local traders or Julas with the necessary knowledge and understanding of the protocols, rules, and actions for integration of people and regional markets.
The forum has also enabled participants to acquire knowledge related to regional integration issues and challenges that they may request the implementation of Ecowas instruments on free movement.
The coordinator of Ecowas Citizens House, Alexandre Gomis, expressed gratitude to the participants for leaving their work to respond to the invitation to attend the training. He said a similar forum was organised in Senegal and Guinea.
“At the end of the training, more than 35 traders of The Gambia will have been trained and mastered the main legal instruments that govern intra-regional trade and free movement of people within the framework of Ecowas.”
He said the trained traders will create their own networks and will then become leaders as far as promoting regional integration is concerned.
The governor of the West Coast Region, Bakary Sanyang, thanked Ecowas for coming up with the initiative and described it as “timely and vital”.
Ebrima Jallow, the president of the National Livestock Owners Association of The Gambia, said the training was organised to help traders voice challenges underpinning them, and map out the way forward.
Dembo Kambi from the National Youth Council, NYC appealed for more trainings of similar nature.
Omar Bojang, customs officer from Gambia Revenue Authority, GRA made a lengthy presentation on free trade in the Ecowas.
Participants were certified for taken part in training.
