The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu‑Adjare, has called on ECOWAS member states to deepen regional cooperation, boost industrial development and remove trade barriers to unlock West Africa’s economic potential.

Speaking at the opening of the Fifth Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry (ECOMOTI-5) in Accra on June 11, 2026, the minister welcomed delegates on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to regional integration and economic transformation.

Hon. Ofosu‑Adjare, urged ECOWAS nations to speak with one voice in international trade fora following outcomes from the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé.

She stressed that multilateral commitments must support African development objectives.

Pointing to the region’s potential of over 350 million people and a combined GDP nearing US$700 billion, the minister warned that intra‑regional trade remains below 15 percent.

She blamed persistent constraints such as poor transport infrastructure, unreliable energy, multiple currencies, unharmonized customs procedures, and non-tariff barriers, which she said add 15–20 percent to cross-border trade costs.

Hon. Ofosu‑Adjare called for stronger collaboration to develop regional value chains in textiles, apparel and automotive manufacturing, and called for policies that promote local production and greater use of regional inputs under the AfCFTA framework.

She also pledged Ghana’s support for implementing the West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP) 2026–2030, harmonised food standards, the Cross-Border Consumer Protection Regulation, and the ECOWAS Common Investment Market.

The Chairman of the ECOMOTI‑5 and Sierra Leone’s trade minister, H.E. Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, also warned against bilateral deals that could undermine the ECOWAS Customs Union and Common External Tariff and called for collective measures to protect the region’s bargaining power and economic sovereignty.

He reiterated the need for member countries to work collectively for the growth and advancement of the sub-region.