Trades Minister Urges ECOWAS to take Bold Action to Boost Intra-Regional Trade

The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has urged ECOWAS Member States to demonstrate renewed commitment to deepening regional integration and dismantling barriers that limit trade, investment, and the free movement of goods and people across West Africa.

Delivering the Keynote Address at the opening of the ECOWAS 3-day regional programme on “Regional Intervention Towards Economic Integration in West Africa” on Wednesday, 19th November 2025 in Accra, the Minister called for “deliberate, tangible action” to strengthen regional value chains, harmonise standards, and expand market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She highlighted persistent challenges such as non-tariff barriers, inconsistent standards, high freight costs, and poor corridor infrastructure, which continue to keep intra-ECOWAS trade low averaging just 6% between 2022 and 2024. “Let us prove that this is not another talk shop,” she stressed, urging Member States to use the meetings to “recalibrate, refocus and implement solutions that increase access to markets and drive industrial growth.”

The Minister also outlined Ghana’s progress under the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative, including the establishment of a Ghana Trade House in Nairobi, market expeditions to East Africa, and the issuance of 581 certificates of origin by February 2025. She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening SMEs, updating national AfCFTA action plans, and investing in priority value chains such as textiles, cashew, cocoa and fisheries to boost jobs and economic transformation.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur on her part, underscored the importance of coordinated regional action to strengthen fisheries governance, combat illegal fishing, modernise aquaculture, and enhance the competitiveness of fish products under the AfCFTA.

She noted that the week’s activities including the ECOAGRIS Data Collection Workshop, the ECOWAS–FCWC–SRFC Tripartite MoU technical sessions, and the AfCFTA Implementation Committee meeting, offer a strategic platform to refine data systems, harmonise regulations and promote safe, quality products across the sub-region.

Highlighting Ghana’s contributions, she cited initiatives such as improved sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems, enhanced digital platforms for aquaculture management, capacity-building programmes for inspectors, and efforts to strengthen cross-border fish trade along the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor. “Collaboration is the only pathway to sustainable fisheries management and shared prosperity,” she emphasised.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, called on West African leaders to urgently reposition agriculture as a powerful engine for economic transformation, job creation and poverty reduction. He stressed that with Africa producing 12 million new job seekers annually but absorbing only 3 million, the region faces a looming crisis unless strategic steps are taken to modernise agriculture, invest in value chains, and leverage the youthful population.

Hon. Opoku also underscored the importance of improved data reliability, describing ECOAGRIS as “the backbone of evidence-based agriculture in West Africa.” He outlined Ghana’s flagship Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (ITAR) and the Feed Ghana programme, which is promoting farmer cooperatives, supporting agro-processing and reducing the food import bill. Over 70,000 community-based cooperatives have already been formed under the initiative.

Representing the ECOWAS Commission, the Head of the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to strengthening trade facilitation, harmonising standards, and improving agricultural market information systems across the bloc.

He highlighted the need for solidarity in the face of regional security challenges and emphasised Ghana’s historical and strategic importance in West Africa’s integration journey. He further encouraged Member States to work collectively to overcome global trade restrictions by boosting intra-regional commerce and ensuring the free movement of goods.

The opening ceremony also featured goodwill messages from development and technical partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), AGRA, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and other collaborating organisations. These partners reaffirmed their support for ECOWAS’ efforts to modernise agriculture, strengthen trade systems, enhance data quality, and improve the competitiveness of regional products.

The 3-day ECOWAS programme brings together over 250 experts from Member States, regional bodies and development agencies. It aims to refine strategies for data management, fisheries governance, SPS harmonisation, trade facilitation and the implementation of AfCFTA protocols all geared towards building stronger, more resilient and more competitive economies across West Africa.