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.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and a...
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are...
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military co...
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday....
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing re...
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are hampering efforts to contain the virus.
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military command infrastructure.
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday.
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in central Belgrade on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered to demand early elections and an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić.
For the first time in decades, Armenia has rail access to the EU. The Akhalkalaki–Kars corridor, running through Georgia into Türkiye, is now officially open for Armenian cargo - a quiet but consequential shift in the region’s economic geography.
The Kremlin warned on Monday that Armenia could lose the “very attractive” price it pays for Russian gas if it moved away from integration with Russia and deepened ties with the European Union.
Uzbekistan has unveiled its final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament. The national team, led by Italian head coach Fabio Cannavaro, will compete at the tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population - more than 21 million people - needed humanitarian assistance in the first three months of 2026, according to the United Nations, yet aid agencies reached only 4.7 million people.
As dawn broke on Monday, pilgrims began arriving at the sacred site of Mina west of Mecca, marking the start of Hajj - one of the most significant spiritual journeys in Islam.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment