Akpabio Frames AfCFTA As West Africa’s Last Best Shield Against Marginalisation

*ECOWAS Parliament President Pushes For Bold Economic Shift

*Odumegwu-Ojukwu Calls For Accelerated Regional Economic Integration, Strengthen Institutional Cooperation

In a region shaken by coups, economic strain, and rising global protectionism, President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has delivered what may be his most forceful case yet for urgent regional consolidation — framing economic integration not as an option, but as West Africa’s survival strategy.

Addressing lawmakers at the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Akpabio presented the situation in stark terms: a world increasingly marked by hardened borders, supply-chain nationalism, and geopolitical rivalry leaves little room for fragmented economies.

His message was unmistakable — West Africa must integrate or risk irrelevance.

At the heart of his argument is the full and uncompromising implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). However, beyond ceremonial endorsements, Akpabio challenged lawmakers to confront the uncomfortable truth that trade agreements without legislative alignment, infrastructure readiness, and security guarantees remain symbolic.

He warned that if goods cannot move seamlessly from Lagos to Accra or Dakar to Abidjan without bureaucratic bottlenecks, then regional integration remains merely rhetorical.

More pointedly, Akpabio, represented by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, linked insecurity directly to stalled economic progress, describing instability as the silent saboteur of intra-African trade. He suggested that economic interdependence could serve as a stabilising force, binding member states not only by treaties but through shared prosperity.

Observers note that the Senate President’s remarks signal a shift in tone: from aspirational integration to enforceable integration.

He urged parliaments across the bloc to harmonise national laws with regional commitments, dismantle regulatory contradictions, and invest in infrastructure that physically and digitally connects markets. Without such coherence, he warned, West Africa risks remaining a supplier of raw materials while importing finished dependency.

For Nigeria — the region’s largest economy — the speech carried added weight. Akpabio acknowledged that Nigerian growth cannot be insulated from regional fragility, implying that leadership now demands shared uplift rather than dominance.

The underlying message was clear: AfCFTA must transition from conference halls into factories, ports, farms, and fintech platforms. It must empower small traders, protect cross-border commerce from corruption, and unlock value-added production within West Africa.

At a time when global trade blocs are consolidating power, Akpabio’s address positions ECOWAS at a crossroads — either deepen integration and negotiate the global arena collectively, or confront it divided and diminished.

On her part, the President of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mémounatou Ibrahima, called for decisive, measurable action to transform West Africa into a competitive economic bloc, warning that regional integration must shift from declarations to delivery.

She declared that the Parliament’s mandate extends beyond representation — it involves responding to the expectations of over 400 million West Africans seeking peace, security, and shared prosperity.

At the core of the session is the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which she described as a historic instrument capable of reshaping the region’s economic destiny — but only if fully embraced and effectively executed.

“The AfCFTA has entered its operational phase. Our responsibility is clear: to make it a lever for structural transformation in West Africa,” she stated.

Ibrahima stressed that with nearly five decades of integration experience, ECOWAS must not merely follow continental reforms but lead and harmonise them, especially as the region hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat.

However, she acknowledged the stark realities confronting the bloc. Intra-regional trade remains below 10 per cent of total trade, industrial capacity is weak, and most member states continue to export raw commodities such as cocoa, cotton, palm oil, and timber, with minimal value addition.

“Our economies often compete rather than complement each other,” she noted, adding that delayed ratifications and the absence of clear national strategies in some member states risk slowing coordinated implementation.

Despite these constraints, she highlighted crucial strengths: a harmonised macroeconomic framework, a Common External Tariff, innovative trade facilitation tools like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), and a youthful population representing nearly one-third of Africa’s total demographic strength.

However, for the AfCFTA to deliver, she insisted, parliamentarians must act decisively — harmonising legal frameworks, dismantling non-tariff barriers, overseeing community resources, and ensuring the inclusive participation of women, youth, and private sector actors.

Beyond trade, Ibrahima outlined three strategic priorities for 2026: consolidating democracy and constitutional order, strengthening regional security cooperation, and advancing women’s leadership.

She welcomed the lifting of sanctions against Guinea following its December 2025 presidential election and urged peaceful electoral processes in Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Benin, while encouraging dialogue in Guinea-Bissau.

On security, she warned that terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational crime remain persistent threats that demand intelligence sharing, coordinated action, and effective deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force.

She also called for stronger implementation of gender inclusion commitments, urging the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association to move from advocacy to measurable impact.

In declaring the seminar and Extraordinary Session open, Ibrahima challenged lawmakers to ensure that integration becomes tangible — measured not by speeches, but by expanded intra-regional trade, harmonised policies, and improved livelihoods.

“Integration must not merely be proclaimed; it must be implemented,” she emphasised.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in her intervention, asked West African states to accelerate regional economic integration and strengthen institutional cooperation to confront emerging political, economic, and security challenges across the sub-region.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, represented by the Head of the ECOWAS National Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Nonyelum Afoekelu, stated that regional leaders should use the platform to recommit to the future of integration and shared prosperity.

She remarked that the programme comes at a critical time when West Africa must consolidate its integration agenda, strengthen institutional coherence, and collectively respond to socio-economic and security threats affecting the region.

She described the seminar as a strategic platform for reflection, renewed commitment, and practical policy dialogue aimed at deepening regional cooperation, harmonising legislation, and accelerating the realisation of ECOWAS objectives.

She characterised the keynote theme of the seminar, “Deepening Regional Integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and Challenges for the Expansion of Intra-Community Trade within the ECOWAS Region,” as highly relevant to the region’s development trajectory.

She noted that declining regional trade has been exacerbated by insecurity, unconstitutional changes of government, climate change impacts, and other transnational threats that continue to disrupt cross-border commerce.

However, she underscored that the African Continental Free Trade Area represents a historic opportunity for West Africa to expand trade, attract investment, and strengthen regional value chains.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed that ECOWAS is not starting AfCFTA implementation from scratch, noting that the region already possesses a strong foundation through the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), which promotes the free movement of goods originating within member states.

She explained that the ETLS provides a tested institutional and legal framework that can be harmonised with continental trade structures to accelerate economic integration across Africa.

By leveraging existing regulatory instruments and dispute resolution mechanisms, she stated that ECOWAS can position itself as a continental leader in operationalising AfCFTA and enhancing the global competitiveness of West African businesses.

However, she emphasised that the ECOWAS Parliament must play a central role in translating regional agreements into domestic policies.

She indicated that the Parliament serves as a bridge between regional commitments and national implementation by working with national governments and legislatures to ensure that trade policies align with AfCFTA objectives.

In practical terms, she advocated for: the ratification and harmonisation of trade-related legislation, adequate budgetary allocations for AfCFTA implementation, strong oversight of executive compliance, and increased engagement with private sector actors, customs authorities, and civil society organisations.

Through legislative diplomacy and policy scrutiny, she asserted that the Parliament can help remove regulatory bottlenecks and eliminate non-tariff trade barriers that hinder regional commerce.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged delegates to actively participate in deliberations to ensure the session yields practical and actionable outcomes for regional development.

She expressed confidence that the seminar would strengthen West Africa’s integration agenda and support long-term economic prosperity for the region’s citizens.

As ECOWAS marks its 50th anniversary, regional leaders maintain that the focus remains on transforming integration commitments into tangible economic opportunities for businesses, traders, and young entrepreneurs across West Africa.