Tuggar urges West African unity for economic integration ahead of regional summit

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called for deeper collaboration among West African nations to drive sustainable economic growth and regional integration.

He made this call during a Private Sector Roundtable held in Lagos as part of activities leading up to the upcoming West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), scheduled to take place from June 20–21 in Abuja.

Addressing a gathering of top business leaders at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Tuggar emphasized that while Nigeria holds a dominant economic position in the region, long-term growth and effective leadership cannot be achieved through isolated national efforts.

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“National strength alone is not sufficient to sustain long-term growth or assert regional leadership,” the Minister said. “In an increasingly interconnected global economy, West Africa must transcend fragmented national pursuits and pursue greater regional integration.”

He stressed the importance of leveraging the region’s collective demographic strength—over 400 million people—and unlocking the economic potential of a shared market to create a more resilient and inclusive West African economy.

“Such a collaborative approach is not merely desirable; it is essential for sustainable development, competitive positioning, and the realization of common prosperity across the sub-region,” Tuggar added.

The Minister explained that the forthcoming WAES is focused on identifying tangible outcomes, such as deploying the right tools, policies, infrastructure, and financing mechanisms, to enhance the ease of doing business in the region.

The goal, he said, is to make business operations across West Africa faster, cheaper, and more predictable.

The roundtable marks a key preparatory step for the WAES, which aims to forge strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors and set the stage for stronger economic ties across the sub-region.