The Chairperson of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, has called on fellow ministers to recognize that ECOWAS is a single regional bloc and that deepening regional integration will benefit all member states in Accra, Ghana.
He made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the 5th Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, held at the Marriott Hotel in Accra.
Minister Sesay emphasized the importance of maintaining a stronger and more unified ECOWAS, noting that such unity would help create a safer and more prosperous region where West African businesses can thrive and citizens can fully benefit from regional opportunities.
“Notwithstanding the challenges, the ECOWAS region remains resolute, resilient, and more determined in shaping and redefining the ECOWAS we want for our over 400 million people,” he stated.
As Chair of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, he urged officials from member states’ trade ministries, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, heads of regional institutions, and other stakeholders to make effective use of the meeting by reviewing reports from senior trade experts for consideration and decision-making.
He further explained that, following the various sessions over the two-day meeting, a work programme would be presented requiring collective political commitment to validate recommendations and provide high-level guidance.
“Our intentions must be deliberate and purposeful in securing favorable outcomes on issues such as the outcomes of WTO MC14, the status of AfCFTA implementation, digitization of trade processes, trade facilitation, and the reduction of non-tariff barriers within ECOWAS,” he added.
The Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, welcomed her counterparts to Accra and wished them fruitful deliberations.
She noted that ECOWAS, comprising about fifteen West African countries with a population of over 400 million people, provides a vital platform for addressing trade and industry issues for the collective good of the region.
Ghana, she said, remains committed to working with other member states to promote exports, boost production, and strengthen cross-border trade within the region.
She encouraged participants to engage constructively, remain focused, and propose practical solutions to challenges affecting regional trade.
The meeting also featured a video message of encouragement from Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, along with statements from representatives of other regional and international trade organizations.
The overall objective of the 5th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry is to provide high-level political guidance, validate recommendations from expert and senior officials, and take decisions necessary to advance the ECOWAS agenda on trade, industry, investment, competition, and consumer protection.