…Summit highlights regional integration agenda
Leaders from West African countries gathered in Abuja for the West Africa Economic Summit to renew commitments to a borderless region. Nigeria led the call to remove trade and travel barriers, urging a return to the original ECOWAS vision of free movement and a shared currency to strengthen economic ties.
President Bola Tinubu stressed the need for “urgent investments in infrastructure and regional supply chains.” He said intra-regional trade remains below 10%, and called for a shift from raw material exports to value-added manufacturing.
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Intra-regional trade still low
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed that while West Africa exported goods worth over $166 billion in 2024, only 8.6% of that trade occurred within the region. He urged the formalisation of informal trade to scale operations and improve efficiency.
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Infrastructure, identity and airspace gaps persist
Transport challenges, restrictive aviation policies, and lack of digital identity systems were identified as major hurdles. Leaders called for swift implementation of the African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
Experts pointed to Nigeria’s NIN and Ghana’s digital ID as progress. The summit ended with a renewed focus on “private-sector-led growth” and regional collaboration to improve living conditions across the region.
