Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called on West African nations to collaborate towards greater economic and regional integration by leveraging their shared market potential and collective demographic advantages.
Tuggar made the call during a Private Sector Roundtable in Lagos, as part of the build-up to the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES). Top business leaders gathered at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, to discuss their role in driving regional economic integration and shaping the agenda for WAES 2025, scheduled for 20–21 June in Abuja, Nigeria
At the roundtable, Amb. Tuggar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with the private sector, stating: “WAES is not just about policy, it’s about practical solutions. Your voice will shape the outcomes.” The Minister encouraged frank conversations about trade barriers, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory challenges that limit growth across the sub-region.
The minister reiterated further that in a world witnessing protectionist tendencies from global market leaders, alongside a weaponized reordering of the global tariff landscape, it is only right that neighbors and regional blocs align for the common good of their people. “The West African response to these protectionist trends must be clear and deliberate for long-term success, rather than a reactionary and disjointed approach. This is why WAES is conceived as a platform to help shape the sub-region’s evolving response”, he added.
The West Africa Economic Summit is a strategic legacy initiative by the President, supported by his colleagues across West Africa, aimed at shifting the paradigm from dependency to productivity and from fragmented markets to integrated value chains. The idea is to use our size to generate efficient productivity in order to outcompete others in the global market.
The Roundtable signifies a definitive shift in which the voice of business is not merely recognized at the margins, but is systematically institutionalized within the core processes of policy formulation and regional economic diplomacy. It also marks a turning point in how regional collaboration is approached, with businesses at the heart of the vision.
Register for WAES today via www.waes2025.org
