AfCFTA Push Gains Momentum As ECOWAS Trains West African Stakeholders On Services Trade Reform
In a continent where services now drive more than half of economic output, efforts to unlock Africa’s trade potential are increasingly shifting from rhetoric to practical reforms.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), has convened a high-level national workshop in Cotonou, Benin, aimed at strengthening the implementation of services trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The three-day workshop, which brought together over 70 participants from government institutions and key sectors, focuses on the use of regulatory audit reports as strategic tools to enhance transparency, guide policy reforms, and support ongoing trade negotiations.
Speaking at the opening, ECOWAS underscored the significance of the AfCFTA as a flagship integration project designed to create a single African market, while emphasising that services, accounting for over 51 per cent of Africa’s GDP, remain central to economic transformation and job creation.
Deliberations at the workshop include identifying barriers to market access, assessing restrictive policies, and developing actionable recommendations to improve competitiveness within the services sector.
The initiative is also expected to support Benin and other member states in aligning national policies with continental trade commitments.
By the end of the sessions, stakeholders are expected to produce concrete strategies that will not only strengthen regulatory frameworks but also deepen regional integration and promote inclusive growth across West Africa.
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