Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), called on regional leaders Saturday to prioritize economic unity, policy coordination, and stronger investment to unlock West Africa’s full potential.
Speaking at the West African Economic Summit in Abuja, Tinubu highlighted the low intra-regional trade—currently below 10%—as a missed opportunity for growth. “We can’t continue to operate in isolation. This isn’t a lack of will but a failure of coordination,” he said. “The world economy will not wait for West Africa to get its act together.”
Tinubu also stressed the importance of investing in the region’s young population through education, digital infrastructure, and innovation to turn this demographic advantage into sustainable growth.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar called for a renewed focus on free markets, pragmatic governance, and stronger private-sector cooperation to drive transformation.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai urged leaders to keep communication channels open with countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, stressing that the door to ECOWAS should remain open for any members that have left.
The summit gathered presidents from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Gambia, Benin, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, along with ECOWAS ministers and regional economic institutions to push forward deeper integration and trade cooperation.
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Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Uzbekistan plans to introduce a new Heritage Impact Assessment system to shield historic cities and cultural heritage sites from the potential impact of construction and infrastructure development. Digital tools will also be used to manage tourist numbers and limit visitors where necessary.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Gates Foundation, with talks spanning polio eradication, health, financial inclusion and digital development.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Georgia’s top security official has held face-to-face talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart in China, with both sides pledging to deepen intelligence cooperation amid growing global security challenges.
More than 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting escalated last week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, warning that the number is rising “by the hour”.
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