Tinubu pledges new course for West Africa economic integration
By Kunle Sanni –
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the commitment of West African leaders to reshape the region’s economic diplomacy and end the era of missed opportunities that have hindered growth and integration in the sub-region.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at a dinner for delegates at the inaugural West African Economic Summit in Abuja, Tinubu said key initiatives such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, the West African Power Pool, and the planned Abidjan-Lagos highway corridor are laying the groundwork for economic integration.
He noted that while intra-regional trade in Asia and Europe stands at 60% and 70% respectively, Africa remains at just 15%, with West Africa lagging even further behind. “Through mechanisms such as the trade liberalisation scheme, the West African power pool, and the Abidjan to Lagos corridor, we have laid the foundation, but now we must build,” he said.
Tinubu described the summit as a shift from aspirations to concrete actions, stressing the need to transform economic cooperation within the region. He emphasized that governments alone cannot achieve the needed transformation and called for private sector leadership in development efforts.
“The destiny of our region does not lie in the hands of government alone but in our ability to bring the private sector to the centre of our planning,” he said, urging stakeholders to harness innovation and enterprise to drive growth.
The President also advocated for improved governance across Africa, noting that leaders must remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and policy inconsistencies that hamper trade and innovation.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Alieu Omar Touray, praised Tinubu’s leadership and Nigeria’s continued support for regional peace and economic progress.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to breaking down barriers to regional prosperity and unlocking the potential of West Africa’s youth.
