By Merit Ibe
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged West African leaders to address tariff and non-tariff frictions, close the physical, regulatory and digital infrastructure gaps that have held back trade in West Africa.
Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke at the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala said West Africa is well-positioned to become a competitive economic bloc if it prioritised integration, built value chains, and embraced innovation and manufacturing. 鈥淭o build regional value chains, we need to address tariff and non-tariff frictions, and close the physical, regulatory, and digital infrastructure gaps that have historically held back trade in West Africa. Trade costs here remain among the highest in the world,鈥 she said.
She urged leaders to fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and ECOWAS-wide integration, adding that the WAES summit offers an 鈥渦nparalleled platform鈥 to advance such solutions.
鈥淟et us seize this opportunity to come together in common purpose, anchored by our rich cultural heritage, and build a West Africa where our young people find boundless opportunities for a better future,鈥 she said.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, who convened the summit in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also called for deeper regional value chains and an end to 鈥減it-to-port鈥 economic dependency 鈥 the export of unprocessed raw materials.
鈥淭he era of warm pit to the port must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value, jobs, technology, and manufacturing,鈥 Tinubu said.
He warned that intra-regional trade within West Africa still accounts for less than 10 per cent, attributing this to poor coordination rather than a lack of political will.
The summit, which precedes the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS scheduled for Sunday, aimed to deepen economic integration and enhance trade and investment cooperation across the subregion.
Presidents from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Benin, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau participated in the summit, alongside ministers of finance, trade, infrastructure, and foreign affairs from ECOWAS Member States.
Also in attendance were representatives from key regional economic bodies, including the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Private sector leaders, development partners, and policy experts also took part, with expectations high for actionable outcomes that can fast-track West Africa鈥檚 integration agenda 鈥 regarded as critical to regional peace, security, and shared prosperity.
Tinubu also extended invitations to the Alliance of Sahel States and Mauritania, in a show of inclusivity and continued regional engagement.