The ECOWAS Parliament is currently holding its 2026 First Extraordinary Session in Abuja. The main focus is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Nigeria is leading the charge, urging member states to harmonize laws to unlock trade for women and youth-led businesses.
Discussions are ongoing regarding the “troubling decline” in regional integration caused by recent coups in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger). There is renewed legislative activism within ECOWAS to find a diplomatic path that brings these nations back into the fold without compromising democratic principles.
Lawmakers and ministers (including Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu) are emphasizing that AfCFTA cannot remain “confined to conference halls.”
A push for member states to align their national laws with AfCFTA protocols to ensure a single, cohesive market.
Discussions on dismantling non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and streamlining customs procedures to reduce the cost of moving goods across West African borders.
A major highlight of the ongoing talks is the transition from “paper integration” to “functional integration.”
