President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called for West African integration describing the current era of global competition and regional instability as a “decisive hour” for the continent.
Represented at the First Parliamentary Seminar and Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja by the first Deputy Speaker who doubled as Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau, Akpabio emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is not merely a modern economic policy but a restoration of Africa’s historical identity as a hub of interconnected trade.
A Call for Unity Over Isolation
Addressing a region recently affected by constitutional disruptions and coups, Akpabio warned that isolation is no longer a viable strategy in an “unforgiving” global arena. He cautioned that in a world functioning like a “global village” yet behaving like an “ancient Roman arena,” hesitation invites marginalization.
”Survival does not belong to the isolated; it belongs to the organized,” Akpabio stated. “We must come together like a phalanx… bound not merely by geography but by shared purpose.”
AfCFTA: From Protocol to Productivity
The Senate President challenged lawmakers to move beyond administrative rhetoric and focus on the practical implementation of the AfCFTA. He identified several critical barriers currently hindering intra-community trade:
Administrative hurdles: Confusion and delays at physical borders.
Regulatory “thickets”: Complex rules that discourage small-to-medium enterprises.
Legal Inconsistency: National laws that contradict regional trade commitments.
External Dependence: Excessive reliance on distant, foreign supply chains.
Akpabio argued that the success of the agreement must be measured by tangible results, such as reduced costs, harmonized standards, and the ability of young exporters to move goods without bribery or delay.
The Link Between Security and Trade
A central theme of the address was the inextricable link between political stability and economic growth. Akpabio noted that “insecurity is the enemy of integration,” asserting that constitutional order is the essential foundation for investor confidence.
He further urged the region to transition from exporting raw potential to developing local industrial capacity. “Let us refine our minerals here, process our cocoa here, and assemble our machinery here,” he said, warning that failure to industrialize would leave Africa as a “supplier of raw hope to the factories of others.”
Nigeria’s Commitment to Regional Growth
As the leader of the region’s largest economy, Akpabio reaffirmed Nigeria’s role in fostering collective prosperity, noting that “our prosperity cannot stand alone.” He concluded by reminding the parliament that while previous generations fought for political independence, the current generation’s duty is to secure “economic independence.”
”May this seminar produce not merely resolutions, but resolve,” Akpabio concluded, calling for an ECOWAS that is integrated, industrious, and unyielding.
