President Bola Tinubu has underscored the need to fast-track economic integration, unity and peace within the West African sub-region.

The president, in his opening address at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) on Saturday in Abuja, stressed the need for ECOWAS member states to work more together rather than relying on foreign partners.

“Intra-regional trade remains under 10 per cent—a challenge we can no longer afford to ignore,” Mr Tinubu said.

“Rather than competing in isolation or relying on external partners, we must strengthen our regional value chains, invest in infrastructure, and coordinate our policies.”

WAES, an initiative of Mr Tinubu in his capacity as chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is the first of its kind, convened to deepen regional economic integration.

Mr Tinubu said the summit offers a historic opportunity to chart a collective course for sustainable economic integration, improved trade flows, and cross-border investments within the region.

“Today is not about celebrating how far we’ve come but forging a new path that leaves behind fragmentation and missed opportunities and moves us toward deeper integration, collective action, and shared prosperity.

“West Africa is one of the last great frontiers of economic growth. Yet opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation.

“Opportunity is not destiny. We must earn it through vision, integration, policy coherence, collaboration, and capital alignment.

“Our region’s greatest asset is its youthful population. However, this demographic promise can quickly become a liability if not matched by investments in education, digital infrastructure, innovation, and productive enterprise,” the president stated.

Mr Tinubu emphasised the need for local processing of the region’s richly endowed minerals and regional manufacturing.

“Our rare minerals power tomorrow’s green technologies—yet it is not enough to be resource-rich. We must 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,” he said.

The president also called for the massive partnership of the private sector to drive economic integration.

“Governments must provide the right environment—law, order, and market-friendly policies—while the private sector drives growth,” he said.

The summit was attended by ECOWAS leaders, the private sector, development partners, and policy experts.

Coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the WAES 2025 is one of the signature initiatives under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope foreign policy and economic diplomacy drive.

The summit precedes the 67th Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), scheduled for the State House, Abuja, on Sunday.

(NAN)