Regional Economic Integration in ECOWAS and the EU-Africa Partnership: Implications for South-East Nigerian Manufacturers

This study analyses the implications of ECOWAS regional economic integration deepening, supported by EU-ECOWAS partnership frameworks, for manufacturing enterprises in South-East Nigeria's industrial corridor, including Nnewi, Onitsha, and Aba. The South-East zone hosts Nigeria's most dynamic indigenous manufacturing sector, and ECOWAS integration alongside the EU-ECOWAS EPA negotiations creates both market expansion opportunities and competitive threats for local producers. This analytical study employs a combination of firm-level survey data collected from 120 manufacturing enterprises in Anambra, Abia, and Enugu States and econometric analysis of ECOWAS trade flow data to identify integration impacts on South-East Nigerian manufacturers. The theoretical framework draws on New Trade Theory and Heckscher-Ohlin models of regional trade integration. Secondary analysis of ECOWAS regional industrial policy documents and EU-ECOWAS EPA technical studies published between 2019 and 2024 frames the empirical findings. The study tests whether ECOWAS-deeper integration is associated with increased export participation by South-East Nigerian manufacturers, improved productivity through competition effects, or increased import competition pressures that disadvantage small-scale producers. Findings fill a gap in the empirical literature on African regional integration's micro-level effects on industrial development. Keywords: ECOWAS integration, EU-Africa partnership, South-East Nigeria, manufacturing, regional trade.