FG HOSTS PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE IN ACCRA AS AFRICA PUSHES ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND REGIONAL TRADE

FG HOSTS PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE IN ACCRA AS AFRICA PUSHES ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND REGIONAL TRADE

West African leaders and finance ministers gathered in Accra on Monday for the opening of the Pan-African Conference on Economic Restructuring and Regional Integration, a 3-day summit that Nigeria is co-hosting with Ghana and the African Union. The meeting comes at a time when the continent is facing pressure from global oil shocks, climate disasters, and the need to make the African Continental Free Trade Area actually work for small businesses and farmers.

President Tinubu led Nigeria’s delegation and told the gathering that Africa can no longer afford to export raw materials and import poverty. “We have spent 60 years talking about integration. Now we must spend the next 6 years doing it,” he said. He was joined by Senegal’s President Bassirou Faye, who chairs ECOWAS, Ghana’s President, and representatives from 45 African countries. The World Bank, AfDB, and UNECA also sent senior officials. 

The central theme is simple: restructure economies so they create jobs, and integrate markets so those jobs are not limited to one country. For Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, the stakes are high. After subsidy removal, FX unification and tax reforms, Abuja is looking for external markets to absorb Nigerian goods and services. For Ghana, the host, the goal is to position Accra as the financial and logistics hub for AfCFTA. For the rest of the continent, the question is whether political will can finally match the treaties that have been signed. 

Day one focused on three things: trade barriers, energy, and food security. On trade, delegates heard that despite AfCFTA, it still takes an average of 14 days and $2,400 to move a container from Lagos to Accra, a distance of less than 600km. Non-tariff barriers, multiple checkpoints, and lack of harmonized standards were cited as the main problems. The AU Commissioner for Trade said the goal is to cut that time to 3 days by 2028 through a single digital customs system. Nigeria announced it will pilot the system at Apapa and Tin Can ports before the end of the year. 

Energy dominated the afternoon. With oil above $90 and gas pipelines disrupted by the Middle East conflict, African countries are looking inward. The conference heard presentations on the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, solar projects in the Sahel, and plans to interconnect West African power grids. President Faye said ECOWAS will prioritize energy as the foundation for industrialization. “No factory can run on speeches. It needs power,” he said. Nigeria pledged to increase gas supply to the West African Gas Pipeline and to fast-track domestic gas projects to reduce reliance on petrol and diesel. 

Food security was the third focus. The Minister of Agriculture from Nigeria presented data showing that 35 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger this year due to conflict, floods, and high input costs. He called for a continental grain reserve and for countries to stop export bans during crises. “When one country bans maize export, the price doubles in the next country. We are hurting each other,” he said. The conference agreed to set up a task force to coordinate regional food stocks and to remove tariffs on fertilizer and farm equipment. 

The private sector had a strong voice. The President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce said African businesses are tired of policies that look good on paper but fail at the border. She gave the example of a Nigerian cosmetics company that spends more on clearing and bribery at Seme border than on production. “Give us one Africa, not 54 Africas,” she said. The AfDB President responded by announcing a $500 million fund to support cross-border SMEs, with priority for women and youth-led businesses. 

Climate also came up. NIHSA and Ghana’s meteorological service presented joint forecasts showing higher flood risk across the Gulf of Guinea. They called for shared early warning systems and for infrastructure to be built to withstand extreme weather. The Green Climate Fund pledged technical support. 

There was also discussion about governance and accountability. Several speakers referenced the need for transparency in how intervention funds are spent, citing recent probes in member states. The message was that citizens will only support integration if they see benefits in their daily lives: cheaper food, stable power, and jobs. 

For Nigeria, the conference is an opportunity to rebrand its economic story. After two years of painful reforms, the government wants to show that Nigeria is open for business and ready to lead regionally. Trade and Investment Minister Doris Uzoka-Anite held bilateral meetings with investors from UAE, Turkey and South Africa on the sidelines. The pitch was simple: Nigeria has a market of 200 million people, a young workforce, and is now reforming to make it easier to do business. 

Critics in Accra were not all positive. Some civil society groups protested outside the venue, saying past summits produced communiques but no change. Others asked how integration will work when some ECOWAS members have left the bloc. President Faye addressed that directly, saying the door remains open for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to return, but that ECOWAS will move forward with those who are ready. 

The next two days will focus on implementation. Working groups will draft timelines for the digital customs system, for the regional power pool, and for the food reserve. A communique is expected on Thursday. 

What this means for ordinary Nigerians is both direct and long term. In the short term, if trade barriers fall, goods from Ghana, Togo and Benin could become cheaper in Nigerian markets, and Nigerian manufacturers could find new buyers. In the long term, if the power and transport plans work, factories could expand and create jobs. 

The mood in Accra is cautious optimism. Everyone agrees Africa has the people, the resources, and the market. The missing piece has always been execution. This conference will be judged not by the speeches but by whether a truck driver can cross from Lagos to Accra in 3 days next year, whether a small business can get a loan to export, and whether food prices stabilize before the next flood season. 

For President Tinubu, it is also about legacy. He wants Nigeria to be seen not just as the biggest economy, but as the engine of African integration. The reforms at home were step one. Step two is making sure Nigeria has partners and markets to grow into. 

As delegates broke for dinner on the beachfront in Accra, the consensus was that Africa has talked enough. The next 24 months will determine if this is the summit where talk turned into trucks moving, lights staying on, and food getting cheaper.