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.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leade...
Qatar has discussed potential investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sectors and the construction of a crude o...
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'agg...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Qatar has discussed potential investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sectors and the construction of a crude oil refinery, during talks in Kabul as Gulf businesses show growing interest in the Afghan market.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has marked the 104th anniversary of Victory Day, honouring the decisive military victory that helped pave the way for the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye.
Uzbekistan has been named one of the world’s leading destinations for solo travelers, ranking fifth in the 2026 Solo Travel Index compiled by international travel platform Much Better Adventures.
Around five years ago, British prosecutors reportedly decided against pursuing war crime charges against Asma al-Assad, the then First Lady of Syria, because she was unlikely to return to the UK.
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