The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has challenged ECOWAS Member States to demonstrate renewed commitment to regional integration by dismantling barriers that restrict 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 economic integration programme in Accra, the Minister called for “deliberate, tangible action” to strengthen regional value chains, harmonize standards, and expand market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). She noted that persistent challenges such as non-tariff barriers, inconsistent standards, high freight costs, and poor corridor infrastructure have kept intra-ECOWAS trade low, averaging just 6% between 2022 and 2024. She stressed, “Let us prove that this is not another talk shop,” urging states to implement solutions that drive industrial growth. Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare also detailed Ghana’s AfCFTA progress, including establishing a Trade House in Nairobi and issuing 581 certificates of origin by February 2025.
In separate addresses, other Ministers weighed in on sector-specific issues. The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, underscored the need for coordinated regional action to combat illegal fishing, strengthen fisheries governance, and modernize aquaculture to enhance the competitiveness of fish products under the AfCFTA. She highlighted that the week’s activities, including a Tripartite MoU technical session and an AfCFTA Implementation Committee meeting, offer a strategic platform to refine data and harmonize regulations.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, called on leaders to urgently reposition agriculture as an engine for economic transformation to address the region’s looming job crisis. He stressed the importance of improving data reliability, describing ECOAGRIS as “the backbone of evidence-based agriculture,” and outlined Ghana’s initiatives like the ‘Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda’ and the ‘Feed Ghana’ programme, which has already formed over 70,000 community-based cooperatives.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, Head of the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to strengthening trade facilitation and harmonizing standards, encouraging Member States to boost intra-regional commerce to overcome global trade restrictions. The 3-day programme brings together over 250 experts to refine strategies on data management, fisheries governance, and AfCFTA protocol implementation.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
