Tag: West African summit

The  Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has endorsed  the West Africa Industrialization, Manufacturing and Trade (West Africa IMT) Summit & Exhibition 2025.

The endorsement underscores Nigeria’s  commitment to deepening intra-regional trade, fostering local production, and driving investment-led growth across strategic sectors.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the Ministry has formally endorsed  an  Exhibition as part of the event.

With Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal implementing distinct, but aligned policies that prioritise local manufacturing through government procurement and incentives, the endorsement, according to the statement, signals regional alignment in industrial strategy aimed at long-term economic transformation.

The summit which comes up in Lagos on  October 21 and runs till 23, will serve as a high-level gathering of regional policymakers, investors, manufacturers, trade experts and development partners.

The summit is positioned as a response platform to shifting global trade dynamics and an opportunity for African countries to re- calibrate their industrial and manufacturing strategies.

Enoh praised the organizers for promoting industrial, manufacturing and trade development across the sub region, describing the Ministry’s partnership as a step toward delivering a high-impact summit.

 Tagged,    ‘Accelerating West Africa’,s Sustainable Industrial Revolution for Economic Prosperity,’ the event would go beyond dialogue, to focus on implementation through policy briefings, investment showcases, and technical sessions that tackle infrastructure gaps, regulatory harmonisation, and industrial capacity building.

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The Country Director, Nigeria and Portfolio Director – Energy at the event, Wemimo Oyelana, said the Ministry’s endorsement validates the strategic relevance of the maiden edition of the West Africa IMT Summit.

 “It marks the beginning of the transformation required for real economic development and growth. It reinforces our shared commitment to accelerating industrial development, strengthening local manufacturing, increasing regional and international trade, and driving investment into the region,” she said.

The summit comes amid notable progress in industrial policy across the region. Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy prioritizes the use of locally manufactured goods in all government procurement. Ghana has adopted a similar approach, mandating local value creation through public procurement, while Senegal is supporting local industries through government subsidies, reliable power supply, and a production-focused strategy.

 These measures reflect a common regional vision: using procurement and policy to scale manufacturing and industrial activity.

With coordinated efforts such as the West Africa IMT Summit, stakeholders across the region aim to convert industrial ambitions into tangible economic gains and position West Africa as a competitive player in global manufacturing and trade.

As global trade faces unprecedented shifts driven by rising tensions between major economies, the ripple effects are being felt across supply chains, sourcing strategies, and economic alliances.

The ongoing tariff standoff between the United States and China, including the imposition of duties as high as 145 per cent, is forcing global manufacturers and buyers to reassess their sourcing strategies and trade partnerships.

But within this disruption lies a rare opportunity. West Africa is emerging as an investment-ready, industrially ambitious, and increasingly unified strategic partner.

Regional integration efforts, led by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are gaining traction.

From Ghana’s expected boost in regional export by six percentage points, to Senegal’s growing textile industry and Côte d’Ivoire’s leadership in cocoa processing and trade, the building blocks of Africa’s next industrial chapter is taking shape.

Nigeria is also not left out of the mix as recent remarks from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, have added renewed clarity to conversations around global trade tensions and their implications for Africa.

Edun acknowledged the seriousness of escalating tariff conflicts, but it presents an opportunity for Nigeria to reposition itself as a competitive trade and investment destination, attract supply chain diversification, and deepen local value addition in key export sectors.

His insights reinforce the strategic agenda of the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade (West Africa IMT) Summit & Exhibition 2025, which seeks to unpack the opportunities created by shifting global trade dynamics and explore how African economies can leverage them for sustainable industrial and trade advancement. The event, themed “Accelerating West Africa’s Sustainable Industrial Revolution for Economic Prosperity,” will be held from 21 – 23 October 2025 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos. West Africa IMT will convene government leaders, industry executives, investors, and development institutions from across the continent and beyond to address the impact of global supply chain disruptions, protectionist trade measures, and realignments in economic alliances are accelerating the case for Africa’s industrial advancement and trade diversification.

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Speaking ahead of the event, Wemimo Oyelana, Portfolio Director, Africa, dmg events, noted ‘’The ongoing global trade tensions present a critical opportunity for Africa to reset its trade strategy, prioritising intra-continental partnerships and diversifying its international trade mix. The West Africa IMT Summit and Exhibition will bring together senior stakeholders from across the continent to chart a course for a resilient and sustainable industrial revolution in the region. Key discussions will focus on creating an enabling environment for investment, unlocking capital, fostering regional value chains, and accelerating infrastructure and energy development to power industries sustainably. As Africa redefines its place in the global economy, this summit  is pivotal in shaping its industrial future.’’

The West Africa IMT Summit and Exhibition will provide a timely and strategic platform for shaping this next chapter of industrialisation for the region. Delegates from across the continent will engage in policy roundtables, investment showcases, and thematic sessions exploring trade strategy, industrial innovation, infrastructure, digital commerce, and finance.