The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mrs. Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima, has officially declared open the parliamentary seminar and First Extraordinary Session of 2026 in Abuja, calling for deeper regional integration and accelerated implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Abuja on February 20, Mrs. Ibrahima said the new parliamentary year marks a renewed commitment to meeting the expectations of over 400 million citizens across West Africa who seek peace, security and shared prosperity.
She expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian government and people for hosting the Parliament’s activities, describing Nigeria’s hospitality as consistent and supportive of regional cooperation.
The seminar, themed “Deepening Regional Integration through the AfCFTA: Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Intra-Community Trade,” focuses on strategies to strengthen intra-regional trade and position West Africa as a competitive economic bloc.
Mrs. Ibrahima noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area has entered its operational phase and represents one of the largest markets globally by population. She stressed that ECOWAS must not merely participate in the process but provide leadership, coordination and harmonisation, particularly as the region hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Highlighting the region’s strengths, she said ECOWAS remains one of Africa’s most dynamic regional economic communities, with an average growth rate of about five percent over the past decade. She cited existing frameworks such as the Common External Tariff, trade liberalisation mechanisms, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, and the ECOWAS Brown Card as key integration tools.
However, she acknowledged persistent challenges, including low intra-regional trade, which accounts for less than 10 percent of total trade, weak industrialisation, and continued dependence on raw material exports such as cocoa, cotton, palm oil and timber. She also pointed out that some Member States have yet to ratify the AfCFTA agreement or adopt national implementation strategies.
The ECOWAS Parliament President emphasised the role of parliamentarians in harmonising legal frameworks, eliminating non-tariff barriers, strengthening oversight of Community resources and ensuring inclusive integration that benefits women and youth.
She outlined three strategic priorities for 2026: consolidating democracy and the rule of law, preserving peace and security, and promoting women’s leadership.
Mrs. Ibrahima welcomed the lifting of sanctions on Guinea following its December 2025 presidential election and congratulated President Mamadi Doumbouya. She also expressed optimism about forthcoming elections in Cape Verde, The Gambia and Benin, while encouraging dialogue in Guinea-Bissau.
On security, she warned that terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime continue to threaten the region, calling for enhanced intelligence sharing and effective deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
She further commended the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association for advancing women’s representation, noting that a 30 percent quota for women in parliamentary delegations has been achieved, but urging greater transformative participation.
The session will also consider and adopt the Parliament’s 2026 Annual Work Plan, including committee meetings, oversight missions and civic engagement initiatives.
Declaring the seminar and Extraordinary Session open, Mrs. Ibrahima expressed optimism that deliberations in Abuja would mark a turning point in advancing a more effective and people-centered regional integration process.
Meanwhile Leaders from the Senate, House of Representatives, and the ECOWAS Commission called for stronger regional cooperation to ensure the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Representing the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin emphasized the need for unity among West African nations to remain competitive in the global economy. He described AfCFTA as more than a trade policy, calling it a transformative continental initiative that requires firm legislative support.
He cautioned that without coordinated laws and proper oversight, trade agreements would remain ineffective. According to him, lawmakers must focus on translating agreements into actionable policies rather than merely endorsing them. He also warned that insecurity continues to undermine economic progress in the region.
Jibrin urged African countries to prioritize industrialization and value addition, rather than exporting raw materials. He advocated processing minerals, cocoa, and other resources within the continent to promote economic independence, stressing that failure to industrialize collectively would sustain dependence on foreign markets.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said AfCFTA should serve as a strategic tool for strengthening Africa’s industrial capacity. He noted that despite the continent’s large market potential, intra-African trade remains limited, while trade with partners outside Africa has grown significantly.
Kalu highlighted infrastructure gaps and bureaucratic delays, particularly along key corridors such as the Abidjan-Lagos route, as major challenges affecting regional trade. He called for a shift from theoretical integration to practical implementation, urging lawmakers to address infrastructure deficits and fast-track the rollout of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) across ECOWAS.
He explained that the digital payment platform would enable instant transactions in local currencies, reduce dependence on the US dollar, and lower transaction costs without affecting national sovereignty. He encouraged legislators to focus on operational solutions that support businesses, manufacturers, and small-scale traders.
Kalu also advocated for local beneficiation, urging African countries to add value to their raw materials before export. He cited examples such as processing cocoa into finished products and refining gold domestically to maximize economic returns. He stressed that AfCFTA should strengthen industrial growth, expand intra-African trade, and reduce reliance on imports from outside the continent.
Also speaking, the Director of Commerce at the ECOWAS Commission, Kolawole A. Sofola, said AfCFTA presents opportunities for West Africa by granting access to a market of 1.4 billion people. He noted that the agreement could help reduce trade costs, enhance regional value chains, and encourage cross-border production.
Sofola called for the removal of non-tariff barriers, improved customs procedures, and the use of technology to facilitate efficient movement of goods across borders. He added that the agreement includes special provisions and support mechanisms for smaller and fragile economies.
He described AfCFTA as an African-driven framework for economic resilience and urged parliamentarians to ensure its full implementation to deliver tangible benefits across member states.