ECOWAS Commission Pushes Sanctions To Enforce MSME Policies Across West Africa
West Africa’s biggest challenge in supporting small businesses is no longer a lack of policies but a failure to implement them, the ECOWAS Commission has said, warning that stronger enforcement is needed to unlock the region’s economic potential.
Speaking at the ongoing delocalised meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, Dr Tony Luka Elumelu of the ECOWAS Business Council Secretariat urged the regional bloc to introduce sanctions for member states that fail to implement agreed policies designed to support Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
Dr Elumelu said ECOWAS already has robust legal frameworks, protocols and the MSME Charter, stressing that the priority should be removing barriers that hinder businesses rather than creating new policies.
He identified multiple checkpoints, roadblocks and poor infrastructure as major obstacles to cross-border trade and called for clear implementation timelines and greater accountability.
He also urged leaders to create an enabling environment that would allow businesses to benefit fully from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that the region must remain competitive with other parts of Africa.
Also speaking, the ECOWAS Commission’s Principal Programme Officer for Enterprise and Business Promotion, Dr Olalekan Afolabi, called for greater efforts to formalise businesses across the region and appealed to parliamentarians to ensure adopted policies are domesticated and implemented at national level.
He further advocated the implementation of the €50 million African Trade Competitiveness and Market Access Programme, saying stronger parliamentary oversight would help drive reforms and accelerate MSME growth across West Africa.
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