Tag: ECOWAS

• • Tinubu’s commitment to PLWDs get kudos

executive Director of Nigeria Unconquered Foundation (NUF), Mr Bobby Ojeh, has lauded former Chair of Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments, President Bola Tinubu, for his commitment to the rights and opportunities of persons with living with disability.

He spoke in Abuja at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NUF and Sports and Youth Development Centre of ECOWAS Commission to begin ECOWAS Para Games (EPG).

Ojeh described Tinubu as a beacon of hope and inspiration for all.

He noted that President Tinubu’s visionary leadership and support has made the initiative possible.

The director said a significant step of the journey has been taken to promote inclusivity, unity, and empowerment of PWD’s through ECOWAS Para Games (EPG).

According to him, the event will hold in first quarter of 2026 and bi-annual (every two years) thereafter – each time in a different West African country that won the hosting rights.

He noted that it is collective dedication to a cause that transcends borders and touches lives in profound ways.

“The signing of the MoU is more than a document; it is a testament to our shared vision and commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable society across West Africa”, he added.

Ojeh, who also lauded President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray and stakeholders, said the dedication to regional cooperation and empowerment of youths is commendable and essential to success of EPG.

“I will also like to acknowledge the Nigerian government, whose support has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. Your commitment to social responsibility and welfare of all citizens is a testament to the values we hold dear.

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“To our potential or prospective partners, sponsors, and supporters, thank you for your belief in this cause. Your contributions and efforts are the driving force behind ECOWAS Para Games. Together, we are creating opportunities for persons living with disabilities and injured soldiers to showcase their talents, achieve their dreams, and contribute to their communities.

“To the para-athletes, who will participate, you are the heroes of this initiative. Your courage, determination, and resilience inspire us. ECOWAS Para Games is your platform to shine, to break barriers, and to show the power of sport in promoting inclusivity and unity.

“… the games is not just an event; It is a movement that seeks to transform lives, foster regional cooperation, and create a more inclusive and equitable society… ”, he said.

Director of ECOWAS Youth and Sport Development Centre, Francis Chuks Njoaguan, said EPG is a social inclusion, unifying and collaborative initiative that converges standing and long policies and conventions of ECOWAS on the administration of Persons with Disabilities in the sub-region.

Ambassador Francis who commended the group and pledged support

for the initiative noted that the community has worked from many fronts to achieve regional integration overall economic development of member states to make all our citizens comfortable and economically viable including persons with disabilities.

He said “when you talk about our citizens, people with disability are also our citizens, they pay tax, they work, they contribute to the economy and in the field of sports, they are also a vital force. We’ve seen the Paralympic Games, we’ve seen the Invictus Games. We’ve seen other games globally that focus on people with disabilities and brings out the talent that is in them.

“And so this initiative simply goes to add one more feather to the efforts of ECOWAS to fully integrate all her citizens, in this particular instance, people with disabilities. ECOWAS has numerous programs and projects policies that are directly designed for people with disabilities.

“And also, why not build the economy around Para Games? Because we know that sports is a huge economy, and why not Para Games, and so this is one of the reasons why we think it is important to support the initiative when it was brought to us by the Nigerian Unconconqured Foundation.

“In fact, there’s a need to add one more item to that place for people with disabilities in our community, to ensure that they also continuously feel a sense of belonging to that shared objective of regional integration.

“ So that is why we’re here, and we hope that this partnership with NUF will go a long way to showcasing that the region cares, not just for its people, but specifically for its people with disabilities, in a very special way through sports “.

The Programme Director, Nigeria Unconquered Foundation for EPG, Ambassador Idah David,

emphasized the need for everyone to show genuine love, support and care for persons with disabilities and wounded soldiers.

He said “EPG is not entirely about sports. It is about humanity, about sympathy, caring and support. Technically speaking, we are talking about inclusivity, giving opportunities to the people with disabilities in our midst, in an era where even the able bodies are finding it hard to survive.

“It’s just right that we should call attention to the plight of people with disabilities, they are every where, and the moment we as Africans begin to pay attention to the people with disabilities, we do know for certain that their needs will be speedily and more affordably met because it is cultural for we Africans to take care of our people with disabilities.We care for our neighbors, we care for our extended families, we care for everyone.

“And then we’re talking about economic institutions that empower people with disabilities specifically. So this is the channel. So when you look at the front picture, what we actually doing is we are using sports to get across in achieving all of these objectives. So, it is not just for sporting sake. It is a sports as a means to a bigger end.”

The Nigerian Unconquered Foundation is a charity organization started two years ago in collaboration with the Invictus game foundation. It’s focus is centered around wounded and injured soldiers. Over the past two years, in collaboration with the defense headquarters NUF recovered over 51 wounded and injured soldiers in total.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the Common External Tariff.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, the Minister expressed concern over the low level of trade among ECOWAS member countries, describing it as a challenge that must be addressed to unlock the region’s economic potential.

Dr. Oduwole also highlighted Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with neighbouring states to fast-track the implementation of preferential tariff regimes under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She called on participants, including private sector leaders, to leverage the summit to forge new partnerships and strengthen the sub-region’s trade architecture.

“The vision of one market is not just an aspiration, it is a necessity,” she said, emphasising the need to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers impeding the free movement of goods and services within West Africa.

The minister assured the gathering that “The Federal Government of Nigeria has been fully committed to the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the ECOWAS Common External Tariff. We are also fully committed to working with member states and neighbors to accelerate the implementation of preferential tariff regimes on the African-Continental Free Trade Area.”

She however explained: “Our businesses cannot scale if our markets remain fragmented.While acknowledging the modest gains of the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, much is still desired to enhance regional trade among our countries. 

“The vision of one market is not simply an ideal, it is a necessity. It means breaking down the tariff and non-tariff barriers that continue to choke the movement of goods, services, and people.”

She lamented that Inter-African trade accounts for under 20% of Africa’s total trade, compared to 58% in Asia and 67% in Europe. 

“In West Africa specifically, trade among countries remains under 10% despite shared borders, language clusters, decades of integration efforts, and initiatives,” she added. 

 She posited, “Achieving one market requires harmonizing product standards to unlock cross-border supply chains, aligning customs procedures to reduce delays and corruption, and investing in digital platforms for predictable and paperless trade processing.”

The Minister also identified high costs at the various borders for some of the challenges to actualisation of ECOWAS free trade. 

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“Today, West African businesses, especially MSMEs, still face high costs at the border, inconsistent duties, and bureaucracy, especially on goods that do not qualify under the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme. These obstacles make it even more attractive to trade globally than with our own neighbors”. 

She listed measures already taken by the Nigerian government to address these issues, from the establishment of a multi-stakeholder AFCFT Central Coordination Committee to facilitate implementation of the agreement to the Single Window Project that will launch export corridors and trade facilitation hubs to revive our commodity exchange ecosystem and support cross-border SMEs.

She also mentioned the launch of a digital services survey to map out and identify Nigeria’s digital service providers, pinpoint priority aftermarket, inform national policy, and shape Nigeria’s leadership in AfCFTA digital trade protocol. 

Also, among the other efforts include the launch of the Nigeria East and South Africa Air Cargo Corridor. 

The Minister concluded that “The time for a truly integrated West African marketplace is now.With a population of over 400 million people and a shared history of enterprise and resilience, West Africa holds enormous untapped potential.” 

On her part, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the gathering is a statement of collective will to deepen economic cooperation in the sub-region.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu also stressed that the summit is a platform of purpose where policy meets enterprise.

 She said: “This gathering is a landmark moment, a bold affirmation of our region’s collective will to deepen economic cooperation, unlock our immense trade and investment potential, and craft a future of shared prosperity for the peoples of West Africa.

“WAES is more than a summit. It is a platform of purpose where policy meets enterprise, where leadership engages innovation, and where West Africa speaks with one voice on the promise of regional integration. Our nations have long engaged not merely as neighbours, but as sisters, brothers, and comrades. Bound by a unique thread that extends across a vast diaspora, uniquely positioning us as leaders on the global stage.”

While noting that the sub-region has proven its ability, the Minister of State however said that “The task before us now is to safeguard our regional bloc and drive the expansion of our industries through farsighted integration policies and reforms that reinforce our economic sovereignty.”

She therefore said the WAES initiative “reflects Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to inclusive, region-wide collaboration, bringing together all West African countries, irrespective of institutional alignments, to confront shared challenges and seize the opportunities that await us.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it has agreed to maintain the status quo on free movement of persons and trade with Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.

The three countries officially pulled out of the regional body in January 2025 due to a fall out occassioned by the undemocratic change of government in the three countries.

The three countries have since set up the Alliance of Sahel States, with common travel document. 

But, ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray said despite their withdrawal, ECOWAS agreed to still allow for free movement of persons and goods and also trade until a new  agreement is in place.

Touray said the ECOWAS was more concerned about the welfare of the citizens.

He spoke at the launch of ECOWAS four  initiatives aimed at enhancing trade in the West Africa Region.

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The initiative is in conjunction with UNIDO, GIZ, the EU, the German and Spanish Governments, Expertise France, AECID, FIAP,  and ITC.

 Flagging off the launch, Touray said the agreement was reached at its meeting in Accra, Ghana in April 2025. 

He said: “We have agreed until we adopt a new agreement, we will maintain the status quo in all areas.

“Status quo in the area of trade, status quo in the area of free movement.

“And we will also continue to explore avenues of collaboration in the area of peace and security.”

He stressed that though ECOWAS has lost green members, “but ECOWAS has always been 400 million people. And the 400 million people will continue to enjoy free movement within this sub-region. And trade will continue within a space of 400 million. Excellencies, this is the situation as I speak.

“Until there is a new agreement, we maintain the status quo. Of course, the institutional framework, if I look at it, nothing changes for the ordinary person. And the whole objective is to ensure that the people of West Africa continue to benefit from the fruits of regional integration that has been built over the past 50 years.”