Nigeria’s push for industrial development and economic integration across West Africa has received momentum with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment officially endorsing the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade (West Africa IMT) Summit and Exhibition 2025.

The endorsement underscored Nigeria’s commitment to deepening intra-regional trade, fostering local production, and driving investment-led growth across strategic sectors.

With Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal implementing distinct but aligned policies that prioritise local manufacturing through government procurement and incentives, the endorsement signals regional alignment in industrial strategy aimed at long-term economic transformation.

The summit, slated for October 21 to 23, 2025 in Lagos, will serve as a high-level gathering of regional policymakers, investors, manufacturers, trade experts and development partners.

It is positioned as a response platform to shifting global trade dynamics and an opportunity for African countries to recalibrate their industrial and manufacturing strategies.

In a formal statement, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Owan Enoh, said the ministry “formally endorses and consents to collaborate with dmg Nigeria events in the successful organisation of the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing and Trade Summit and Exhibition 2025”.

He commended the organisers for promoting industrial, manufacturing and trade development across the subregion, describing the partnership as a step toward delivering a high-impact summit.

Themed ‘Accelerating West Africa’s Sustainable Industrial Revolution for Economic Prosperity’, the event will go beyond dialogue to focus on implementation through policy briefings, investment showcases and technical sessions that tackle infrastructure gaps, regulatory harmonisation and industrial capacity building.

The Country Director, Nigeria and Portfolio Director, Energy at dmg Nigeria events, Wemimo Oyelana, said the ministry’s endorsement validates the strategic relevance of the maiden edition of the West Africa IMT Summit.

“It marks the beginning of the transformation required for real economic development and growth. It reinforces our shared commitment to accelerating industrial development, strengthening local manufacturing, increasing regional and international trade, and driving investment into the region,” she said.

The summit comes amid notable progress in industrial policy across the region. Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy prioritises the use of locally manufactured goods in all government procurement.

Ghana has adopted a similar approach, mandating local value creation through public procurement, while Senegal is supporting local industries through government subsidies, reliable power supply and a production-focused strategy.

With coordinated efforts such as the West Africa IMT Summit, stakeholders across the region aim to convert industrial ambitions into tangible economic gains and position West Africa as a competitive player in the global value chain.