ECOWAS and OECD Set Sights on Investment and Trade to Deepen West African Integration

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.

The renewed commitment followed talks between ECOWAS Commission President General Birame Diop and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the OECD headquarters in Paris on the 1st of October 2026. The two institutions identified a broad set of priorities spanning infrastructure, agriculture, capital markets and critical minerals.

Discussions identified several priority areas for enhanced cooperation, including AfCFTA implementation, investment promotion and the mobilisation of quality foreign direct investment, capital market development, food security and agricultural transformation, infrastructure connectivity, critical minerals value chains, governance and institutional reforms, and regional competitiveness.

The agenda reflects a recognition that West Africa’s integration challenges are interconnected, requiring coordinated action across multiple sectors. By targeting investment, trade and institutional reform together, ECOWAS and the OECD aim to create the conditions for sustained economic growth and development.

ECOWAS and the OECD have a long-standing partnership, with the OECD’s Sahel and West Africa Club serving as a key platform for cooperation on regional development issues. The renewed commitment signals a deepening of this relationship, with a sharper focus on investment mobilisation and sustainable development.

The talks also come as ECOWAS pushes forward with its own integration agenda, including the ECOWAS Free Trade Area, Customs Union and Common Market, and alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Efforts are underway to remove non-tariff barriers, digitalise customs systems and promote women and youth participation in trade.

The Road Ahead for West African IntegrationFor West Africa, the partnership with the OECD offers an opportunity to attract the investment needed to build infrastructure, develop value chains and strengthen regional competitiveness. Intra-regional trade in the region remains below 15 per cent, highlighting the scale of the challenge.

The challenge now is to translate the identified priorities into concrete action and measurable outcomes. If successful, the ECOWAS-OECD partnership could play a significant role in accelerating West Africa’s economic integration and unlocking the region’s growth potential.

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