Alhaji Mohammed B. Daramy, ECOWAS Commissioner for Trade, Customs and Free Movement of Persons and Goods, on Thursday, observed that, the use of adequate communication skills in a globalize world holds the promise of lifting millions out of poverty.
He said this would go a long way to promote trade and industry, since trade has the potential to act as a powerful mechanism for development and
economic growth.
Alhaji Daramy noted that communication was very necessary in any human interaction, stressing that, the benefits of effective communication were many and obvious, as they enhance all aspects of our personal and
professional lives.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Alhaji Daramy said "it is not what you do in the ECOWAS Commission but what the people see, and that they need to be a striking force to educate the public on what goes on around the Member States".
He said there must be a structure of regional integration with the objective of reducing barriers to trade between member countries, which would remove tariffs on intra bloc trade, noting that, many go beyond that to cover non tariff barriers and to extend liberalization into trade and investment.
Alhaji Daramy said no country was immune from the effects of regionalism as it shaped the world's economic and political relationships
and influences the development of the multilateral trading system, adding that, all countries face policy choices in relation to regionalism.
He noted that unless ECOWAS countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and La Cote d'voir take up the mantle of good leadership, West African Countries would not succeed in whatever they do.
He suggested that there should be a representative from all the Member State who would participate in the activities of the ECOWAS.
He stressed that Member States should develop a common facility programme to educate its people on their activities so that they would
appreciate the work of the ECOWAS commission.
He urged ECOWAS members to have at least two newspapers, which would be supported by ECOWAS to promote and educate the people on its activities.