Abuja: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed its commitment to regional integration through strategic projects that promote regional trade, boost agriculture, and bolster the environment. ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, announced this during the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS initiative on economic integration through trade, environment, and agriculture.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the theme of the event was ‘Regional Interventions Towards Economic Integration in West Africa,’ which reflects a series of technical meetings organized by ECOWAS to foster regional economic development and integration. Touray, represented by Vice President Damtien Tchintchibidja, emphasized that ECOWAS is implementing initiatives to accelerate regional integration, promote trade, boost agriculture, protect the environment, and accelerate inclusive regional economic growth.
ECOWAS is currently implementing a portfolio of strategic projects aimed at strengthening industrial dev
elopment, promoting trade, enhancing agricultural productivity, improving food and nutritional security, and accelerating inclusive economic growth across all member states. Touray highlighted the journey of promoting the free movement of goods and services, accelerating infrastructural development, and maintaining peace and security, acknowledging challenges but emphasizing resilience and steadfast commitment.
He stated that these initiatives aim to give operational content to ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the broader objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Agriculture, being the backbone of the sub-region’s economy, employs millions, yet the region still faces a significant level of food insecurity, with 12% of West African people currently suffering from it.
Guided by the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), Touray explained that interventions are designed to modernize production, strengthen value chains, and promote agribusiness that is inclusive and competitive. The focus includes advancing the West Af
rica Fertiliser and Soil Health initiatives to improve productivity, restore degraded lands, and ensure sustainable food systems, thereby laying the foundation for resilient agriculture.
Environmental protection, particularly through plastic pollution management, is also a key priority for ECOWAS. Tackling plastic waste is crucial for safeguarding ecosystems, protecting public health, and creating job opportunities within recycling industries. Additionally, ECOWAS is unlocking new opportunities for enhancing intra-regional and continental trade through harmonized policies, effective elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and liberalization of markets.
Touray further noted ECOWAS’s commitment to advancing regional strategies that promote renewable energy, sustainable land use, and resilience against climate shocks. This includes operationalizing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari
, emphasized that trade, agriculture, and the environment are interlinked, with agricultural productivity driving regional trade, while environmental stewardship underpins both. He highlighted the alignment of Nigeria’s agricultural policy with ECOWAS’s vision and called for harmonized efforts, regional standards, and knowledge exchange.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, described the event as pivotal for promoting sustainable economic growth and strengthening environmental governance. He noted the significant environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution, with over 2 million tonnes of plastic waste generated annually in West Africa, posing risks to food security, climate resilience, public health, and economic livelihoods.