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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