Abuja: Nigeria has called on the ECOWAS Parliament to engage in robust legislation that would facilitate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) toward achieving regional integration goals. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, made the appeal at the opening of the 2026 First Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and Seminar on Monday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Minister, represented by Amb. Nonyelum Afoekelu, Director, ECOWAS National Unit, emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in ensuring that Member States fully leverage the opportunities presented by AfCFTA’s rollout. She highlighted the critical role of AfCTA in unlocking West Africa’s trade and investment potential amidst political, economic, and security pressures facing the sub-region.
The minister outlined practical steps required, which include promoting the ratification and harmonization of trade-related legislation, ensuring budgetary allocations for AfCFTA
implementation, exercising oversight over executive compliance, and fostering stakeholder engagement, including the private sector, customs authorities, and civil society. She stressed that legislative harmonization, budgetary support, and effective oversight are crucial to ensuring member states domesticate and implement trade agreements.
Ojukwu suggested integrating AfCFTA structures with the existing ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme and urged West Africa to consolidate its integration agenda to respond collectively to emerging challenges. She noted that AfCFTA presents a historic opportunity to expand intra-West African trade, strengthen value chains, and position regional businesses to compete favorably within the African market.
ECOWAS President, Dr. Omar Touray, represented by Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, highlighted the indispensable role of regional parliamentarians in turning the AfCFTA opportunity into reality. He described them as the bridge betwe
en treaties and daily life, essential for harmonizing laws, easing border flows, and ensuring inclusive integration.
Touray further stated that West Africa could emerge as one of the world’s next manufacturing hubs given its abundance of youth, resources, energy, and creativity. He emphasized the importance of building a single African market where goods, services, capital, and people move freely, and identified democracy as the best path to genuine development.
He noted that frequent coups in the region have economic, social, security, and political repercussions, advocating for continuous dialogue and engagement with member states under military rule to return them to democracy, peace, and integration.
Earlier, the Parliament’s Speaker, Mémounatou Ibrahima, called on member states to leverage the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to deepen regional integration. Ibrahima urged all stakeholders, including regional parliamentarians, the private sector, civil society, wome
n, youth, and technical partners, to seize the opportunities presented by AfCFTA to enhance regional economic growth. She emphasized that regional parliamentarians must play a decisive role in harmonizing legal frameworks, removing non-tariff barriers, and overseeing the use of Community resources.