AfCFTA as a Catalyst for Regional Growth and Development: A Summary of Recommendations Presented at the ECOWAS Parliament

As the 2026 first ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament concludes, several key recommendations were presented to Member States to harmonize policies and ensure effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

On 23 February 2026, Abuja, Nigeria, hosted parliamentarians from across ECOWAS member states to deliberate on actionable measures to make the AfCFTA a tangible reality for the region.

Introduced in 2015 and signed by all ECOWAS Member States in March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda, the AfCFTA aims not only to facilitate trade among African nations but also to strengthen existing regional economic communities. The agreement is anchored on five key pillars:

1. Boost Intra-Regional Trade – Move beyond the limitations of existing trade agreements, such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), and significantly increase trade among African nations.
2. Industrialization and Economic Transformation – Promote value-added production rather than just the export of raw materials, driving structural transformation across the West African sub-region.
3. Create a Single Market – Establish a unified market of 1.3 billion people by reducing trade barriers, including tariffs and non-tariff obstacles, to enhance competitiveness.
4. Job Creation and Poverty Reduction – Foster inclusive development and create employment opportunities, especially for women and youth who dominate informal cross-border trade.
5. Strengthen Regional Value Chains – Integrate West African economies into global value chains by building stronger regional supply chains.

Previous parliamentary sessions were largely dominated by policy discussions, but this year’s session saw lawmakers stress the urgent need to shift from rhetoric to concrete implementation, particularly to ensure that small-scale traders, women, and youth meaningfully benefit from the reforms.

Following years of delays and uneven implementation, the ECOWAS Parliament recommended expediting the domestication of AfCFTA protocols and harmonizing national tax regimes to reduce transaction costs and facilitate seamless intra-regional trade.

Although the AfCFTA introduces a broader continental trade structure, it does not substitute the existing ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS). Rather, it complements and strengthens it. ECOWAS is therefore developing coordinated regional approaches to harmonize national policies with AfCFTA provisions, with particular attention to closing infrastructure gaps and eliminating non-tariff barriers (NTBs) so that member states can fully benefit from the agreement.

Key Recommendations to ECOWAS Commission

1. Expediting the Domestication of AfCFTA Protocols
Domesticate protocols on trade, investment, intellectual property, and women and youth in trade to ensure legal certainty and effective national implementation. Simplify customs procedures to reduce transaction costs.

2. Strengthening Coordination Between Security and Trade Institutions
Ensure safe, predictable, and efficient movement of goods and people along regional corridors.

3. Prioritize Strategic Investment in Digital Skills
Invest in technology, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems, emphasizing youth entrepreneurship and participation in regional value chains.

4. Accelerate Harmonization of Trade, Customs Standards, and Regulatory Frameworks
Align Member States’ policies with the AfCFTA to ensure policy coherence, legal certainty, and seamless implementation.

5. Support Domestication and Implementation of AfCFTA Legal Instruments
Provide targeted technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and monitoring mechanisms consistent with obligations under AfCFTA protocols on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, and Rules of Origin.

6. Prioritize Development and Modernization of Regional Infrastructure
Invest in transport corridors, border facilities, ports, and ICT networks to facilitate free movement of goods and services and reduce transaction costs.

Conclusion

Participants emphasized the transformative potential of AfCFTA in expanding intra-community trade, strengthening regional value chains, promoting industrialization, and enhancing the competitiveness of ECOWAS countries in continental and global markets.

During the final submissions, the ECOWAS parliamentarians announced they will transmit the outcome document to the ECOWAS Commission for onward submission to the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

They also pledged to continue to monitor and oversee timely implementation of the recommendations, ensuring that AfCFTA serves as a driver of regional integration, development, and economic prosperity.

The seminar, held under the theme “Deepening Regional Integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Intra-Community Trade within the ECOWAS Region,” brought together parliamentarians, AfCFTA Secretariat experts, ECOWAS Commission officials, government institutions, and development partners.