West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS is preparing to launch a private sector-led Business Council (EBC), described as a transformational platform to boost economic integration, competitiveness and cross-border trade.
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandje Toure-Litse, said in Abuja that the EBC was “designed by private sector leaders, for private sector leaders” and would represent the full breadth of the region’s economy, from agriculture to digital innovation.
The council is being finalised by a technical working group of regional experts and will start work later this year, focusing on policy advocacy, investment facilitation, and strengthening value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Officials say the 21-member council will help ECOWAS streamline business rules across borders, improve resilience to global shocks, and institutionalise private sector influence in decision-making.
By formalising dialogue between governments, investors and regional trade groups, the EBC is expected to open fresh opportunities in infrastructure, logistics and digitalisation, reinforcing the private sector’s role as the “engine room” of West African growth.
