President Bola Tinubu is set to lead efforts to deepen West African economic integration as he attends the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) on Saturday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Now in its second and final day, WAES serves as a critical precursor to the 67th Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), scheduled for Sunday at the State House Conference Centre.
An innovative initiative spearheaded by President Tinubu in his role as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, WAES is the first summit of its kind. It is designed to accelerate regional cooperation by fostering enhanced trade, investment, and policy coordination across the subregion.
The summit has attracted the confirmed participation of several West African leaders, including the Presidents of Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Benin, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau. Their collective presence signals a unified commitment to advancing tangible outcomes that will fast-track West Africa’s integration agenda—an essential pillar for lasting peace, security, and shared prosperity in the region.
Key government ministers overseeing Finance, Trade, Infrastructure, and Foreign Affairs from ECOWAS member states are also attending, alongside representatives from pivotal regional institutions such as the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
In addition, the summit brings together private sector leaders, development partners, and policy experts to ensure a multi-stakeholder approach to regional economic integration.
Demonstrating President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusivity and broader regional dialogue, invitations were extended to members of the Alliance of Sahelian States and Mauritania.
Ahead of the summit, a presidential delegation led by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, alongside Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, personally delivered formal invitations to heads of state across the region.
