Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has stressed collaboration among the West African States for greater economic and regional integration by leveraging its shared market potential and demographic advantages.

The minister asserted during a Private Sector Roundtable in Lagos, as part of the build-up to the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) which will be held from June 20 to 21 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The roundtable also had in attendance top business leaders gathered at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island. Tuggar, at the event, stated that the country’s economic stature within the West African sub-region is both significant and uncontested, but that there is a need for partnership among the nations in the region.

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

The Minister affirmed that by leveraging the collective demographic advantage of over 400 million people and unlocking the latent potential embedded in the region’s shared markets, West Africa can cultivate a more resilient and inclusive regional economic architecture.

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

According to him, WAES focuses on deliverables, identifying the appropriate tools, policies, infrastructure, and financing, and deploying them to facilitate business in West Africa, making it faster, cheaper, and more predictable.