The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are strengthening cooperation to attract investment, expand regional trade and accelerate economic integration across West Africa, with priorities spanning infrastructure, agriculture, capital markets and critical minerals.

The renewed commitment followed talks between the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the organisation’s headquarters in Paris, France, on October 1, 2026.

The discussions focused on translating the ECOWAS-OECD Memorandum of Understanding, signed in October 2025, into practical initiatives capable of supporting regional development and improving economic opportunities across West Africa.

Diop reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to the partnership, stressing that delivering results would require sustained political commitment, technical cooperation and adequate resources from both institutions.

He also briefed Cormann on the outcomes of the 69th Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, including the adoption of the Compact for the Future of Regional Integration and ongoing institutional reforms.

The ECOWAS Commission president said the new leadership was determined to strengthen implementation of agreed policies and programmes, highlighting the need for effective institutions and improved regulatory frameworks to attract investment and support regional economic transformation.

Cormann reaffirmed the OECD’s commitment to deepening cooperation with ECOWAS under the Enhanced OECD-Africa Partnership, highlighting the economic potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the importance of open markets in promoting sustainable growth.

He also invited ECOWAS to participate in the OECD Africa Partnership Board, which provides a platform for contributing to the strategic direction of the partnership.

The two institutions identified investment promotion, foreign direct investment, capital market development, food security, agricultural transformation and infrastructure connectivity as priority areas for cooperation.

They also highlighted opportunities to develop critical minerals value chains, strengthen governance and institutional capacity, and improve the competitiveness of West African economies.

For the region, the priorities are significant as ECOWAS seeks to improve economic cooperation among member states and translate regional agreements into practical development outcomes.

The discussions also addressed the need to integrate peace and security considerations into development programmes, strengthen capital markets and explore analytical support for the proposed ECOWAS single currency programme.

During a high-level dialogue involving regional and international institutions, OECD member countries and West African partners, Diop emphasised that strong institutions, effective competition policies and a favourable business environment were essential to attracting investment.

The OECD expressed readiness to support ECOWAS through policy advice, peer learning, governance assessments and capacity development, particularly in implementing the AfCFTA, improving infrastructure connectivity and promoting investment.

Both institutions plan to strengthen technical consultations, establish a joint coordination mechanism, designate institutional focal points and develop a joint work programme aligned with their memorandum of understanding.

The proposed measures are intended to move the partnership beyond policy dialogue towards practical cooperation that supports trade, investment and sustainable economic development across West Africa.

In another development, ECOWAS urged member states to strengthen their statistical systems and protect the independence of national statistics agencies, warning through its latest regional training initiative of the need for more reliable data to guide policymaking and development planning.

The call followed a five-day workshop for statistical managers from ECOWAS member states and Mauritania, held in Monrovia, Liberia. The training focused on improving the management and coordination of national statistical institutions responsible for producing data used in government planning and policy decisions.

The workshop was organised under the World Bank-funded Project for the Harmonising and Improving of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA).

ECOWAS Commission Director of Research and Statistics, Samson Bel-Aube Nougbodohoue, urged member-states in participation to apply the knowledge gained in their institutions and share it with their teams. He also acknowledged the support of the Liberian government and the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-information Services.

Member-states in participation called for stronger leadership of national statistical systems, better coordination among institutions that produce data and faster implementation of national quality-assurance frameworks.

They also stressed the need to safeguard the professional independence of statistics agencies, an important consideration for ensuring that official figures remain credible and free from political interference.

The recommendations also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in official statistics. Participants advocated its responsible use, alongside the diversification of data sources and improved communication to make statistical information more accessible and useful to policymakers and the public.

They urged ECOWAS to support training in generative artificial intelligence, promote the exchange of expertise among member states and provide technical assistance and peer reviews to improve national statistical standards. Translating international statistical guidelines into Community languages was also identified as a way to make them more accessible across the region.