Chidimma Uchegbu – Uchegbu
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nigeria, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar on Monday said that Nigeria is set to host the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit ( WAES) scheduled for 20 and 21 June, 2025 in Abuja.
The Minister announced this at the Pre-WAES Media Parley with Journalists in Abuja saying that the summit’s objectives align with the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AFCFTA) ambitions, focusing on promoting intra-African trade by strenthening regional trade and investment.
Tuggar disclosed that the summit themed, “West Africa Economic Summit: Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region”,designed to serve as a strategic platform for shaping the economic future of the sub-region.
“WAES 2025 will convene Heads of State, Ministers, private sector leaders, development partners, and youth innovators from across West Africa and beyond. As a government, we recognise that sustainable development, peace, and prosperity in West Africa are best achieved through enhanced regional cooperation and economic integration.
“Economic integration requires the active partnership of the private sector and cannot be exclusively state-centric. WAES 2025 reflects this conviction”, he said.
According to the Minister, WAES 2025 is a solutions-oriented initiative that seeks to, “establish a harmonised trade policy framework to eliminate barriers to intra-African commerce and investment;
Mobilise resources for critical infrastructure, energy, and logistics to improve the free movement of goods and people;
“Promote inclusive economic growth, with particular attention to empowering women, youth, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs);
“Enhance West Africa’s economic resilience through innovation, institutional reforms, and strategic global partnerships”.
Tuggar informed that the summit will feature the presidential Roundtable and CEO Forum; a high-level dialogue between Heads of State and business leaders, culminating in a Joint Communiqué that articulates shared regional priorities and a concrete plan of action.
He said it would also feature the WAES Deal Room; a platform for Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) transactions aimed at securing landmark investment deals across strategic sectors, including infrastructure, agribusiness, renewable energy, and digital finance.
It would further include the West Africa Business Expo; an exhibition of over 100 investment-ready SMEs and regional development projects, fostering cross-border business linkages and reinforcing the role of the private sector in advancing the AfCFTA.
In addition, it will feature the Youth and Cultural Empowerment Series; featuring events such as the West Africa Art Exhibition, Innovation Pitch, and Youth Leadership Panels, these will showcase the region’s rich creative energy and the ingenuity of our youth.
The Minister, in conclusion stated that WAES 2025 was a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to the ECOWAS vision of a borderless, peaceful, and economically integrated West Africa.
“It aligns seamlessly with continental objectives under Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The summit will address:
The facilitation of cross-border trade and logistics; the advancement of regional macroeconomic stability and value chains; the reinforcement of institutional cooperation, peace, and governance.
“As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I extend a warm invitation to regional leaders, continental institutions, development partners, private investors, and civil society actors to converge in Abuja for what will be a landmark moment in West Africa’s economic evolution.
“Together, through WAES 2025, we take deliberate steps toward a prosperous, united, and globally competitive West Africa”, he said.
