On 8 April 2025 in Abidjan, the Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group welcomed Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, for a technical session on the current status of regional integration in the West African sub-region.
The meeting was chaired by Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery of the Bank Group Nnenna Nwabufo and focused on how to advance regional integration in view of the recent developments and dynamics of the West African region.
According to the African Development Bank, West Africa is the continent's economic powerhouse, accounting for 27 per cent of Africa's total GDP, or around $700 billion. It performs highest on the Africa Regional Integration Index - and in spite of the challenges, can position itself effectively for the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Dr. Touray shared insightson recent developments in the region, and how the ECOWAS Commission and its members are addressing existing and emerging challenges. He emphasized the importance of solidarity, stressing that ECOWAS welcomes and would collaborate with all countries in the region and beyond.
He called for continued investment in regional development and expressed appreciation for "the quality of interaction between the ECOWAS Commission and the African Development Bank Group particularly through its Nigeria Country Department."
He also acknowledged the Bank's "AAA" credit rating and invited the Bank Group to continue to invest in harnessing resources for the West Africa region and to pursue its current efforts in the development of infrastructure, economic governance, and energy for the benefit of the people.
Touray praised a number of Bank Group regional integration projects and operations, particularly the Mali-Mauritania power interconnection, the Burkina-Mali-Côte d'Ivoire road links and the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
He encouraged the Bank to step up action on the peace-security-development nexus while continuing to invest in regional corridors. He also underscored the importance of cross-border infrastructure, trade under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme and the AfCFTA.
Board members noted that intra-regional trade in West Africa accounts for only nine per cent of imports and 10 per cent of exports, in contrast to the free movement of goods and people, long recognised as one of the major achievements of ECOWAS.
They encouraged the ECOWAS Commission to consider some action points:
- taking more action to boost intra-community trade;
- removing non-tariff barriers to better integrate the region
- capitalising on synergies with other regional organisations, in particular the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- strengthening the private sector to reduce the paradox of a "continent rich in natural resources but with the highest number of poor people".
Board members welcomed the session and indicated that it provided an opportunity for them to better appreciate the current situation in the West African region, and to engage with the ECOWAS Commission on how to enhance the collaboration between the two institutions.
In conclusion, Nwabufo, on behalf of Bank president Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, senior management and staff of the Bank, expressed her appreciation to Touray and members of the Board for attending the session, which was designed to improve the Bank's knowledge of the region and the ECOWAS Commission's priorities.
