West African Trade Ministers Push Regional Industrialisation Drive at ECOWAS Summit in Ghana

West African trade and industry leaders have taken a major step toward deepening regional economic integration after the fifth ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry meeting (ECOMOTI-5) in Ghana, where policy recommendations aimed at accelerating West African industrialisation were formally adopted. The gathering brought together ministers from across the sub-region to strengthen cooperation under the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS framework.

A key outcome of the summit was the proposed creation of a Regional Trade Facilitation Committee (RTFC), designed to move integration beyond policy discussions into real, transaction-level impact across the region’s 400 million citizens. The initiative aligns ECOWAS efforts with the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA, especially at a time when global trade tensions and tariff disputes continue to reshape international commerce.

Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, stressed that the region’s economic strategy must translate into tangible improvements in citizens’ livelihoods. She also highlighted the importance of energy complementarities and stronger infrastructure linkages, noting that West Africa must act swiftly to remain competitive in a shifting global trade environment.

The ministers focused on four strategic pillars, including harmonising industrial standards through the ECOWAS Standards Harmonisation Model (ECOSHAM), strengthening competition and consumer protection frameworks, and tackling non-tariff barriers such as illegal checkpoints and administrative delays. These issues have long constrained the movement of goods, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operating across borders.

Ghana, through its Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, pushed for stronger action on trade bottlenecks while showcasing its 24-hour port operations at Tema as a model for regional logistics efficiency. Nigeria also spotlighted its growing non-oil export strategy, including the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, which has reportedly cut shipment costs by up to 75%, strengthening competitiveness under AfCFTA.

source: The Guardian