* Nigeria, Benin sign integration agreement as President and Beninois counterpart, Talon canvass regional reforms

* Talon charges regional leaders to urgently tackle current crisis rocking ECOWAS 

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday advised West African leaders to harness the region’s youthful population and abundant natural resources for economic transformation through industrialisation, education and innovation.

Delivering an opening address at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, the president described the region’s vibrant, youthful population as its greatest asset.

“However, this demographic promise can quickly become a liability if not matched by investments in education, digital infrastructure, innovation and productive enterprise,” he warned.

President Tinubu emphasised the need for regional cooperation, citing Nigeria’s investments in skills development, digital connectivity, and youth empowerment.

According to him, “No one country can do this alone. Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks and data frameworks. We must design them together—or they will collapse separately.”

He called for urgent efforts to dismantle trade barriers across the subregion.

The president expressed concern that with intra-regional trade still below 10 per cent, West Africa must “coordinate or collapse” in the race for global economic relevance.

On infrastructure and investment, President Tinubu urged West Africa to move beyond the export of raw materials and prioritise value-added industries.

He said: “Let us recognise that Africa was left behind in previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to miss the next one.

“Our rare minerals power tomorrow’s green technologies, yet being resource—rich is not enough; we must also become value-chain smart and invest in local processing and regional manufacturing.

“The era of ‘pit to port’ must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value—jobs, technology and manufacturing.”

President Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, underscored the role of the private sector in driving transformation.

“The fundamental transformation will not come solely from government, but from unleashing our people’s entrepreneurial spirit. Governments must provide the right environment—law, order and market-friendly policies—while the private sector drives growth,” he said.

While calling on regional leaders to commit to clear deliverables, the president said:

“Our task is to find new and effective ways to invest in our collective future, improve the business climate and create opportunities for our youth and women.

“Let us emerge from this summit with actionable outcomes: a renewed commitment to ease of doing business, enhanced intra-regional trade, improved infrastructure connectivity, and innovative ideas that move our people from poverty to prosperity.”

He charged summit participants—heads of state, policymakers, business leaders and development partners—with building an investable, competitive and resilient West Africa by leading with vision, responsibility, and unity.

Also on Saturday, Nigeria and the Republic of Benin signed an agreement to deepen bilateral integration and serve as a model for broader regional cooperation within ECOWAS.

The signing ceremony, witnessed by Nigerian President Tinubu and Benin Republic President Patrice Talon, took place in the course of the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja.

Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, signed the agreement, alongside Benin’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Shegun Adjadi Bakari.

President Talon declared that the move signified a bold step towards real, actionable regional integration.

“President Tinubu and I have agreed on full integration between Benin and Nigeria. The responsibility now lies with our ministers to implement it. Benin and Nigeria are more than twins—we are the same people. Let us show the region that integration is possible,” he said.

The Beninois President called for urgent reforms to rescue West Africa’s stalled regional integration, describing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as “in crisis”.

“ECOWAS is a perfect example of regional integration. Unfortunately, our ECOWAS is in crisis right now,” he said.

President Talon cited the West African Gas Pipeline, which was designed to enhance regional energy cooperation, as an example of failure due to administrative bottlenecks.

“It is ridiculous. This failure of regional cooperation wastes resources and undermines integration,” he said.

As a result of these delays, President Talon said Benin has had to source gas from Qatar via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).

On the West African Power Pool, another regional initiative, he said: “We invested heavily in this infrastructure. But it is not functioning as expected. Unless we act decisively, I’m not confident it ever will.”

President Talon also addressed logistical obstacles along the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, which unnecessary border checks and harassment have hampered.

“The road exists. But a businessman should be able to travel from Lagos to Abidjan in hours—not days—without facing harassment at multiple checkpoints. That is not integration,” the Beninois President declared.

He warned that poverty remains the region’s most dangerous destabilising force, saying:

“Poverty is the main threat to democracy, security and stability, if we do not address poverty through integration, our values will remain hollow.”

Referencing changing global trade dynamics, President Talon cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies as a signal for African nations to prioritise their interests.

“The trade war should remind us that nations act in their interest, and so should we. At some point, we may even have to thank President Trump for that reminder.”

He urged West African leaders to move from talk to action.

“If we cannot create wealth and opportunity, all our other values—democracy, liberty—cannot be sustained. Integration must be real. Integration must be delivered,” he said.

Earlier, the Presidents of Sierra Leone and Benin delivered national statements at the summit, which preceded the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for Sunday, June 22, 2025, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

Representatives of other West African leaders delivered statements on regional integration and prosperity. 

At the same time, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, sent recorded video statements.

Liberian President Joseph Boakai affirmed Liberia’s commitment to ECOWAS and regional blocs like the Mano River Union in reducing trade barriers, harmonising policies, and enhancing competitiveness.

He praised President Tinubu, Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, for convening what he called a “timely, strategic summit”.

“This summit offers a vital platform for reflection, coordination and renewed commitment to the economic transformation of our subregion,” Boakai said, adding that while the challenges in the region are complex, “they are not insurmountable”.

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone highlighted the need to unlock the region’s economic potential in the face of growing global pressures.

“This potential must be unlocked through strategic integration, particularly amid rising public debt, climate vulnerability, food insecurity and geopolitical uncertainty,” he said.

President Bio urged West African leaders to accelerate regional integration, saying: “Trade integration must start with a strong political commitment. We must engage in key initiatives like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the Common External Tariff to harmonise trade policies and reduce tariffs.”

On monetary policy, he expressed his country’s support for a single regional currency.

“To deepen intra-regional competitiveness, we must accelerate progress towards monetary union. A single currency would reduce exchange rate costs, support price stability and improve the business environment,” he said.

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