Tinubu Calls for Unified Economic Strategy as West Africa Grapples with Low Intra-Regional Trade

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for stronger regional integration among West African nations, warning that fragmented economic policies and underdeveloped trade links are stifling growth in the sub-region.

Speaking at the opening of the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit in Abuja on Saturday, Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, stressed the urgent need to move from policy declarations to concrete implementation.

“Intra-regional trade remains under 10 per cent—not due to a lack of will but a failure of coordination,” he said. “The global economy will not wait for West Africa to get its act together, and neither should we.”

The Nigerian leader urged regional governments to abandon isolated competition and external dependency, advocating instead for collaborative investments in cross-border infrastructure and value chains.

Highlighting the region’s youthful population as its “greatest asset,” Tinubu cautioned that without adequate investment in education, digital infrastructure, and innovation, this demographic advantage could turn into a liability.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s domestic efforts in skills development and connectivity, he insisted that standalone national initiatives are insufficient. “Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together—or they will collapse separately,” he asserted.

Tinubu cited ongoing projects like the Lagos-Abidjan Highway and the West African Power Pool as proof of achievable cooperation but pressed for accelerated action. “We must move from declarations to concrete deals and from policy frameworks to practical implementation,” he said.

Addressing Africa’s missed opportunities in past industrial revolutions, the president urged a shift from raw material exports to localized processing and manufacturing. “It’s not enough to be resource-rich; we must become value-chain smart,” he declared.

He emphasizing the private sector’s role, calling for government policies that foster investment-friendly environments.

“Governments must provide law, order, and market-friendly policies, while businesses drive growth,” he said.

He challenged summit participants to deliver actionable outcomes, including trade facilitation, poverty reduction strategies, and improved regional competitiveness. “Let us build a West Africa that is investable, competitive, and resilient,” Tinubu urged.

The summit continues with expectations of new agreements to bolster economic cohesion across ECOWAS member states.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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