With the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit just days away, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, is spearheading efforts to strengthen regional integration and drive economic transformation across West Africa.
Speaking at a pre-summit media briefing in Abuja, Amb. Tuggar emphasized that the summit—scheduled for June 20–21 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre—must serve as a catalyst for turning regional aspirations into tangible progress.
“Governments alone cannot drive the kind of innovation, job creation, and inclusive development West Africa needs. The private sector is essential,” Tuggar said, underscoring the need for public-private collaboration.
Key features of the upcoming summit include a Presidential Roundtable, a CEO Forum, and a Deal Room designed to unlock direct investment opportunities between businesses and governments across critical sectors.
The Minister also outlined priority themes, including the removal of trade barriers, enhancement of cross-border logistics, and development of regional value chains to boost global competitiveness.
Tuggar extended invitations to heads of state, investors, development partners, and civil society actors, calling on all stakeholders to seize what he described as a “landmark moment in West Africa’s economic evolution.”
As Nigeria leads the charge for deeper economic integration, the spotlight now turns to whether the summit will produce actionable results—or fall short of bridging the gap between policy and execution.
