Senior officials of the ECOWAS Commission have visited Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council, at Dangote Group headquarters in Lagos to accelerate the operationalization of the private sector platform designed to bridge the persistent gap between regional integration ambitions and the reality of fragmented West African markets.

The delegation was led by ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Dr. Kalilou Sylla and Commissioner for Internal Services Dr. Habib Yaya Bappah, accompanied by Gerard Amoi Amangoua, Technical President of the Technical Working Group for the ECOWAS Business Council, and other working group members.

The meeting focused on practical steps to get the council fully operational, with officials emphasizing the critical role of private sector leadership in unlocking the economic potential of the West African region. Analysts say trade among West African countries remains significantly below potential despite decades of integration efforts, held back by poor infrastructure, multiple border checkpoints, non-tariff barriers, policy inconsistencies, and inadequate private sector involvement in regional decision-making.

The choice of Dangote, whose business interests span cement, fertilizer, petrochemicals, sugar, and logistics across multiple African countries, to chair the council was seen as a strategic move to leverage the experience and investment footprint of one of the continent’s most prominent industrialists. The latest engagement also reflected ECOWAS’ determination to align its integration agenda with the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area.