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<\/p>\nPresident 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“However, this demographic promise can quickly become a liability if not matched by investments in education, digital infrastructure, innovation, and productive enterprise,” he warned.<\/p>\n
The president emphasised the need for regional cooperation, citing Nigeria’s investments in skills development, digital connectivity, and youth empowerment.<\/p>\n
“No one country can do this alone. Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together\u2014or they will collapse separately,” he said.<\/p>\n
President Tinubu called for urgent efforts to dismantle trade barriers across the subregion.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
On infrastructure and investment, the Nigerian leader urged West Africa to move beyond the export of raw materials and prioritise value-added industries:<\/p>\n
“Let us recognise that Africa was left behind in previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to miss the next one.<\/p>\n
“Our rare minerals power tomorrow’s green technologies, yet being resource\u2014rich is not enough; we must also become value-chain smart and invest in local processing and regional manufacturing.<\/p>\n
“The era of ‘pit to port’ must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value\u2014jobs, technology, and manufacturing.”<\/p>\n
The Nigerian leader, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, underscored the role of the private sector in driving transformation.<\/p>\n
“The fundamental transformation will not come solely from government, but from unleashing our people’s entrepreneurial spirit. Governments must provide the right environment\u2014law, order, and market-friendly policies\u2014while the private sector drives growth.”<\/p>\n
Calling on regional leaders to commit to clear deliverables, President Tinubu said:<\/p>\n
“Our task is to find new and effective ways to invest in our collective future, improve the business climate, and create opportunities for our youth and women.<\/p>\n
Let us emerge from this summit with actionable outcomes: a renewed commitment to ease of doing business, enhanced intra-regional trade, improved infrastructure connectivity, and innovative ideas that move our people from poverty to prosperity.”<\/p>\n
He charged summit participants\u2014heads of state, policymakers, business leaders, and development partners\u2014with building an investable, competitive, and resilient West Africa by leading with vision, responsibility, and unity.<\/p>\n
Bayo Onanuga<\/p>\n
Special Adviser to the President<\/p>\n
(Information & Strategy)<\/p>\n
June 21, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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