President Bola Tinubu on Saturday urged West African leaders to harness the region’s youthful population and abundant natural resources for economic transformation through industrialisation, education, and innovation.
Delivering the opening address at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja, President Tinubu described the region’s vibrant, youthful population as its greatest asset.
The president emphasised the need for regional cooperation, citing Nigeria’s investments in skills development, digital connectivity, and youth empowerment.
President Tinubu called for urgent efforts to dismantle trade barriers across the subregion.
He expressed concern that with intra-regional trade still below 10 per cent, West Africa must “coordinate or collapse” in the race for global economic relevance.
On infrastructure and investment, the Nigerian leader urged West Africa to move beyond the export of raw materials and prioritise value-added industries.
The Nigerian leader, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, underscored the role of the private sector in driving transformation.
He charged summit participants—heads of state, policymakers, business leaders, and development partners—with building an investable, competitive, and resilient West Africa by leading with vision, responsibility, and unity.
