ECOWAS Parliament urges stronger regional trade participation as it marks its 25th anniversary with programmes to boost cross-border commerce

The ECOWAS Parliament has called for stronger ECOWAS regional trade participation, urging businesses and citizens across West Africa to take greater advantage of existing integration frameworks designed to expand cross-border commerce and economic cooperation.

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The appeal was made on Thursday during a press briefing in Abuja to announce private sector activities marking the Parliament’s 25th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, the Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Research at the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Kabeer Garba, who represented the Speaker, Mémounatou Ibrahima, said regional trade and innovation must translate into tangible improvements in the welfare of citizens across the subregion.

Garba explained that the Parliament was established to ensure that West Africans benefit from regional programmes such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the protocol on the free movement of persons, goods and services.

“The Parliament is supposed to represent the people of the West African region. Our greatest strength as an ECOWAS institution is the fact that we represent the people,” he said.

“We are providing a voice for the people.”

According to him, limited public awareness remains a major obstacle to deeper economic integration, as many traders and citizens are still unaware of opportunities available through regional policies.

Garba noted that the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme allows traders to move goods across borders and establish businesses in other member states, stressing that broader engagement by entrepreneurs is essential for the region’s economic progress.

“The idea is that the Parliament should be able to conscientise the people and carry them along so that they take maximum advantage of these programmes that exist within ECOWAS,” he said.

He added that trade and innovation would feature prominently in the anniversary activities.

“ECOWAS is not meaningful to the people if it does not boost their welfare. If we are talking about trade and innovation, that is very key because beyond explaining the programmes, we also have to think about how the people will fare and how to put food on their table,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Duchess Naturals Limited, Dr Victoria Akai, said the private sector was collaborating with the ECOWAS Parliament to transform regional policies into practical economic opportunities for businesses and citizens.

Akai said the anniversary programme would focus on strengthening trade, entrepreneurship and innovation across West Africa.

“As the private sector continues to expand its role across trade, innovation and investment, ECOWAS institutions remain critical partners in shaping a more integrated and prosperous regional economy,” she said.

She disclosed that the year-long programme would bring together policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators and young people from several member states through initiatives such as the ECOWAS Smart Challenge, regional trade forums and community outreach campaigns.

“For us in the private sector, ECOWAS at 25 represents more than a celebration. It is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships that translate regional policy into real economic opportunity for citizens and businesses across West Africa,” she said.

In her remarks, the Managing Partner of Borderless Trade and Investment, Dr Olori Boye-Ajayi, said the anniversary programme would provide a platform to deepen collaboration among policymakers, entrepreneurs and financial institutions.

She said business-to-business forums and policy dialogues would be organised in cities including Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Accra, Lomé, Freetown, Abuja and Lagos to facilitate trade and investment opportunities.

The initiative will involve stakeholders from several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Togo and Sierra Leone, as part of a broader effort to strengthen regional economic ties.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Head of Global Trade and Structured Finance at Providus Bank, Dr Biodun Ariyo, said financial institutions also play a critical role in expanding regional commerce.

Ariyo noted that banks were working with regional institutions to expand trade financing and support cross-border transactions.

“One of the key ingredients is trade, and that’s why we are quite happy to partner with the ECOWAS Parliament as well as other institutions that are part of it,” he said.

According to him, platforms that connect businesses across borders are vital to expanding economic activity across the region.

The ECOWAS Parliament was created to give citizens of West Africa representation in the regional integration process following the signing of a protocol establishing the institution on August 6, 1994, while its first legislature was inaugurated on November 16, 2000, in Bamako, Mali.

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Organisers said the anniversary activities will culminate in a closing ceremony scheduled for November 2026 in Abuja, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs and regional stakeholders to assess progress in West Africa’s economic integration.