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Tag: African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

  • The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) boosts regional trade, innovation and sustainable investment at the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) boosts regional trade, innovation and sustainable investment at the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair

    …ECOTIFE 2025 is an integral part of the year-long ECOWAS@50 celebrations, symbolizing the region’s collective vision for a borderless, prosperous, and self-reliant West Africa

    As West Africa marks 50 years of integration and shared progress, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is reaffirming its leadership in promoting regional trade, innovation, and sustainable investment through the ECOWAS Trade and Investment Forum & Exhibition (ECOTIFE) — a flagship initiative at the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), taking place from 7–16 November 2025.

    The opening ceremony on Friday 7th November 2025 at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Nigéria, brought together top ECOWAS officials, diplomats, and business leaders from across the region. It was declared open by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan-Enoh and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, represented by Dr Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner en charge of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, while the Lagos State Government was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medem. Also in attendance was the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, ECOWAS Commissioners, representatives from Member States, and members of the diplomatic corps, underscoring the forum’s significance in strengthening regional trade and investment cooperation.

    ECOTIFE 2025 is an integral part of the year-long ECOWAS@50 celebrations, symbolizing the region’s collective vision for a borderless, prosperous, and self-reliant West Africa. It brings together policymakers, business leaders, innovators, and development partners to strengthen trade linkages, unlock investment opportunities, and celebrate the creativity that drives regional growth. The initiative underscores ECOWAS’ commitment to deepening regional integration and promoting shared prosperity through stronger trade linkages and inclusive economic growth.

    “This platform captures the spirit of ECOWAS@50 — the drive to connect markets, empower people, and unlock opportunities that transcend borders,” said H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by Dr Kalilou Sylla, the ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Economic Affairs and Agriculture. “ECOTIFE is more than an exhibition; it is a celebration of West Africa’s resilience and creativity as we trade, innovate, and grow together.”

    “Trade facilitation and investment promotion are central to ECOWAS’ economic integration agenda,” noted Mr. Kolawole Sofola, Director of Trade, ECOWAS Commission. “ECOTIFE aligns with our strategic objective to deepen intra-regional trade, strengthen regional value chains, and position West Africa as a competitive and sustainable investment destination.”

    On 7 and 8 November, the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair featured expert panels and dynamic exhibitions, highlighting West Africa’s immense potential. The expert discussions also focused on the theme of ‘Facilitating Trade and Digital Transformation,’ allowing participants to explore technological solutions that could revolutionize trade and market access across West Africa.

    The Lagos International Trade Fair is one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest and longest-running trade exhibitions, attracting over 1,600 exhibitors across 40,000m² of exhibition space and welcoming more than 500,000 visitors annually. Supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government, the Fair serves as a strategic platform for business networking, investment promotion, and cross-border partnerships.

  • President Ruto, Samaila Zubairu and Africa’s Top Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) to Headline The Africa Debate in London

    President Ruto, Samaila Zubairu and Africa’s Top Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) to Headline The Africa Debate in London

    …The Africa Debate will convene over 700 senior decision-makers from across government, finance, and industry for a full day of high-level exchanges

     Invest Africa is pleased to announce Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) as Headline Partner for the 11th edition of The Africa Debate, taking place on Wednesday, 2 July 2025 at the Guildhall, in the heart of the City of London.

    This year’s theme — “Harnessing Natural Capital for Growth” — seeks to interrogate how Africa can transform the scale and structure of investment around its most enduring assets: from its critical minerals and fertile land to its human ingenuity and demographic dynamism.

    Now firmly established as the UK’s premier forum for Africa-focused investment dialogue, The Africa Debate will convene over 700 senior decision-makers from across government, finance, and industry for a full day of high-level exchanges. Through keynote addresses, ministerial dialogues, and curated sector debates, the programme will explore how to turn extractive advantage into structural transformation — mobilising green industrialisation, digital infrastructure, intra-African trade, and new financial instruments to drive inclusive, climate-smart growth.

    This year’s speaker line-up reflects the extraordinary breadth of voices shaping Africa’s next chapter, from heads of state to the stewards of global capital. Highlights include: H.E. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Board Chair, TradeMark Africa; H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat; Benedict Oramah, President, Afreximbank; Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation; Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director, African Department, International Monetary Fund; Solomon Quaynor, Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialisation, African Development Bank; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Chair, Econet Wireless; Duncan Wanblad, CEO, Anglo American; Wale Tinubu, CEO, Oando Plc; Monique Gieskes, CEO, PHC; Marie-Chantal Kaninda, President, Glencore DRC; and more. The full programme is now available to view here (http://apo-opa.co/4ljJqbx), with detailed sessions on value chain transformation, blended finance, regional infrastructure, and Africa’s positioning in a multipolar global economy.

    Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, commented: “Natural capital is only as valuable as the systems that refine, protect, and elevate it. At AFC, we believe that infrastructure is the bridge between Africa’s resource richness and the continent’s ability to rapidly industrialise and take its rightful place on the global stage. Our partnership with Invest Africa and The Africa Debate underscores the need for thoughtful, long-term capital — deployed strategically — to unlock the continent’s full economic potential. We are proud to support a platform that challenges assumptions and catalyses bold, bankable solutions.”

    Chantelé Carrington, CEO of Invest Africa, added: “Africa’s path to prosperity must be built not on extraction, but on transformation. This year’s theme compels us to ask harder questions about how we steward the continent’s assets — human, natural, and institutional — in a world shaped by climate change, technological disruption, and shifting geopolitical priorities. With AFC’s visionary leadership, we are honoured to convene a dialogue that is ambitious in scope, rigorous in thought, and focused on meaningful outcomes.”

    Confirmed Sponsors of The Africa Debate Include: Africa Finance Corporation (Headline Partner), Absa Group, Afreximbank, FirstBank UK Limited, Invest KZN, Standard Chartered, Standard Bank Group, Plantations et Huileries du Congo, Lagos Free Zone (Tolaram), Octopus Energy, ServiceNow, Stellar Developments, Spiro, Safaricom, Premier Invest, Remittances Hub, S-RM, DLA Piper, and London Stock Exchange Group.

    To register as a delegate for The Africa Debate, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/4efWGM0. Places are limited and advance registration is essential.