Leaders from across the region converged in Abuja for the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, where they committed to sweeping reforms, regional integration, and inclusive development. The high-level gathering, themed “Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region”, marked a strategic shift toward deeper economic collaboration across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The two-day summit, which featured keynotes from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, senior ECOWAS officials, private sector leaders, and regional experts, was anchored on enhancing intra-regional trade, boosting infrastructure, and establishing a unified digital identity framework to accelerate commerce and connectivity.
Declaring the summit open, President Tinubu challenged leaders to act swiftly to correct the region’s underperformance in trade and industrialisation. Noting that intra-regional trade remains below 10%, Tinubu said, “Opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation. It must be earned through vision, integration, and coordinated action.”
He called for investment in regional infrastructure, including the Lagos-Abidjan Highway and West African Power Pool, while emphasising the importance of harnessing the region’s youthful population through innovation, digital connectivity, and entrepreneurship.
“Our mineral wealth must be processed locally, not just extracted and exported. We must end the era of pit-to-port economics,” Tinubu asserted, referencing the region’s vast but underutilised natural resources.
A key highlight of the summit was a paper delivered by Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), who advocated for a harmonised digital identity system as a cornerstone for economic integration.
“With over 120 million Nigerians enrolled in the National Identification Number (NIN) system, Nigeria is poised to lead a regional digital identity framework,” she noted. “This will unlock seamless cross-border trade, reduce fraud, and promote financial inclusion, especially for women, youth, and informal traders.”
Coker-Odusote stressed that digital identity is more than infrastructure—it’s a strategic enabler of regional prosperity. Her presentation resonated with attendees, reinforcing the importance of interoperability across ECOWAS identity systems to facilitate regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister and Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, contextualised the region’s historical role as a hub of precolonial trade and called for a return to indigenous economic collaboration.
He urged participants to draw lessons from successful regional markets such as Kano, Katsina, and Salaga, stating, “We once thrived through trust-based trading networks. We must revive this spirit of cooperation, backed by modern infrastructure and policies.”
The summit also addressed disparities in trade balance, noting that over $166 billion worth of exports left West Africa in 2024, yet only 8.6% of that trade stayed within the region, underscoring the urgency for regional industrialisation and value-chain integration.
Dr. Akinola Ayobami Steven of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs described the summit as a turning point for “economic diplomacy” in West Africa. He highlighted the need for strategic partnerships, regional supply chain development, and youth-centered policy to build resilience and reduce reliance on foreign economies.
“This summit demonstrated that West Africa has both the capacity and urgency to lead itself out of poverty, by investing in youth, aligning policies, and embracing digital transformation,” he said.
Summit Outcomes and the Road Ahead
Key resolutions from the WAES 2025 included:
Adoption of a unified digital identity system across ECOWAS nations.
Commitment to increased intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework.
Development of cross-border infrastructure such as highways, energy grids, and broadband.
Promotion of youth entrepreneurship, especially in the digital and green sectors.
Increased collaboration between governments and the private sector to unlock trade finance, logistics, and market access.
As the summit closed, participants expressed optimism that West Africa was ready to reclaim its position as a vibrant economic powerhouse. With follow-up meetings scheduled in Abidjan and Accra, WAES is set to become a permanent fixture for shaping the subregion’s economic agenda.