As part of efforts to tackle trade barriers and unlock the economic potential of West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has unveiled renewed efforts to drive digital trade integration and expand intra-regional trade, targeting growth of between 35% and 50% in the coming decades.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of the E-Commerce Community Forum, where the initiative was highlighted, the Commission’s Director of Trade, Kolawole Sofola, said digital commerce could dismantle long-standing trade barriers by enabling entrepreneurs to sell across borders without the cost of physical shops.
He emphasized the need to expand market access for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and small businesses.
The high-level gathering brought together government officials, trade experts, development partners, and private-sector leaders to assess the implementation of the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy 2023 – 2027.
Sofola emphasized that leveraging technology and digital platforms remains pivotal to simplifying cross-border trade, lowering operating costs, and creating a level playing field for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Sofola noted that, historically, intra-regional trade within West Africa has hovered below 15%—a figure experts say excludes the massive volume of informal cross-border commerce.
However, following recent strategic engagements by heads of state on the “Compact of the Future,” ambitious benchmarks have been set for 2035 and 2050 to push regional trade levels toward 35% and beyond through structured e-commerce interventions.
A central focus of the two-day forum is enhancing inclusivity by dismantling persistent barriers faced by vulnerable and underrepresented groups in digital commerce, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, and informal traders.
“An inclusive e-commerce ecosystem must enable these groups to participate meaningfully, reach wider markets, and benefit from digital trade,” he stated.
“Our focus should be on translating regional cooperation into tangible opportunities for businesses and citizens across West Africa.”
Key initiatives showcased at the forum included regional digital skills training programmes, financial assistance for conflict-displaced entrepreneurs, and capacity-building projects that have already trained more than 800 small-scale cross-border traders—the majority of whom are women.
Representatives from international technical partners, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank, commended ECOWAS’s leadership in advancing the digital agenda.
They stressed that achieving sustained economic growth requires addressing core infrastructural bottlenecks, such as high internet costs, cross-border payment interoperability, and weak data-collection frameworks.
Delegates are expected to review a new action plan and set up an expert group to help member countries use data and evidence to better implement e-commerce policies.
