Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening regional economic integration and investment cooperation within West Africa, throwing its weight behind the proposed West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS-2026) as a major ECOWAS platform for driving economic growth across the sub-region.
The position was presented at the 96th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, led Nigeria’s delegation.
According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, the minister expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to the Government of Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS Commission for championing the initiative, which is expected to serve as a catalyst for regional investment and economic integration.
Enikanolaiye described WAIIS-2026 as a strategic platform aimed at unlocking private-sector investment, strengthening regional value chains and attracting capital to critical sectors across ECOWAS member states.
He stressed that for the summit to achieve its objectives, it must be driven primarily by the private sector, noting that private investment remains crucial to accelerating sustainable development and economic transformation within the region.
The minister also praised the President of the ECOWAS Commission for presenting the 2026 Interim Report on the State of the Community, while urging member states to recognise the contributions of the outgoing commission president toward advancing the bloc’s long-term vision and regional development agenda.
Speaking on the financial health of the regional body, Enikanolaiye welcomed improvements recorded in revenue mobilisation during the first half of 2026. He, however, called for stronger financial management across ECOWAS institutions.
According to him, enhanced budget implementation, stricter fiscal discipline and more efficient utilisation of resources are essential to ensuring that the benefits of regional integration are felt by citizens across member states.
He further urged the commission to embrace prudent cost-management strategies to mitigate the effects of rising operational expenses, inflationary pressures and broader economic challenges confronting countries within the sub-region.
Beyond economic matters, the minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to preserving Africa’s cultural identity through regional collaboration on the recovery, restitution and protection of cultural assets taken abroad.
He disclosed that Nigeria had already established a national framework to facilitate the return of stolen and displaced artefacts, highlighting the recent repatriation of 23 artefacts from Switzerland as a significant milestone in the country’s cultural heritage restoration efforts.
Enikanolaiye also expressed support for the ECOWAS Action Plan on the restitution and protection of cultural property, urging member states to sustain momentum on the issue through continuous dialogue and cooperation.
He noted that collective action would strengthen legal and institutional frameworks across the region, enhance the protection of cultural treasures and accelerate the return of Africa’s historical artefacts to their countries of origin.
The minister maintained that preserving the continent’s cultural heritage remains vital to safeguarding Africa’s identity, history and legacy for future generations.
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