Critical issues relating to economic integration, infrastructure development, health, education and agriculture were some of the issues topping the agenda at the opening of the 94th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja on Thursday.
Chairman of Council and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who declared the meeting opened, noted that manifold institutional matters aimed at strengthening ECOWAS would be deliberated upon.
He, however, called for unity among Africans, warning against dependence on outsiders. According to him, it is more rewarding for African countries to trade freely among neighbouring countries in order to jointly develop infrastructure and strengthen trade in the West African region, rather than isolation, which makes them continually dependent on former colonial masters.
In his remarks, the President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, said the ministers would be presented with the outcome of the joint meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, who met recently to examine and validate the key regional instruments, as well as discuss the regional and continental trade, industry and investment promotion.
He noted that the ministers had examined the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) within the framework of ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement AfCFTA.
“The Non-tariff Barriers have become a perennial obstacle to boosting regional trade, investment, industrialisation, competitiveness and economic growth of our region. Despite numerous initiatives, including the Presidential Task Force on Trade Liberation Scheme, the problem persists.
“In May, I travelled by road from Lagos to Cotonou to see the situation along the regional corridor and the joint border post established at the Seme/Krake border between Nigeria and Benin. I saw firsthand the challenges posed by non-tariff barriers along the corridor. We must do everything to put an end to this and facilitate economic exchange across the region.
Regarding security and political stability, Touray stated that the community has secured an understanding with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger on the need to work together to build confidence and collectively confront terrorism and violent extremism.
“We have also converged on the need to sustain the gains made under various ECOWAS protocols relating to economic integration, development programmes and social cohesion,” he said.
The minister also used the occasion to invite his colleagues to the opening of the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) today in Abuja.
“You may recall that when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the mantle of leadership of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during the Bissau Summit in 2023, he pledged to organise a Trade and Investment Summit during his tenure as the Chair, in order to unlock the economic potential of the region.
“The event seeks to reaffirm the role of private enterprise as a bona fide development partner. It will draw participants from the private and public sectors, policymakers, and national and regional regulatory agencies.
According to Tuggar, Heads of State will be in attendance to expound on their visions and share their experiences.
“WAES will serve as a watershed event for enhancing business and economic activities in the West African region,” he said.
