Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and African businessman Tony Elumelu have called for stronger government-private sector collaboration to deepen economic integration and attract investment across West Africa.
The call was made in Lagos during a meeting of the Private Sector Advisory Board of the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS), ahead of the summit scheduled to take place in Sierra Leone in November 2026.
President Bio, who is leading the WAIIS initiative, said West Africa must move beyond decades of discussions about regional integration and work towards creating a consolidated market serving more than 400 million people.
He urged businesses across the region and internationally to participate in building stronger trade, investment and industrial links between West African economies.
Sanwo-Olu said African countries should place greater emphasis on producing goods and services that can be consumed within the continent while creating a larger market for businesses.
The Lagos governor identified technology, agriculture and other productive sectors as areas capable of supporting deeper regional cooperation, while calling for policies that would give businesses greater confidence to invest and operate across borders.
Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and co-chair of the WAIIS Private Sector Advisory Board, said the private sector was encouraged by the willingness of political leaders to work more closely with businesses.
He said stronger regional cooperation could help create jobs, expand opportunities for young people and unlock West Africa’s economic potential.
According to the WAIIS organisers, the initiative is developing an investment pipeline valued at more than $180 billion, covering four major areas: energy trade and industrialisation, strategic minerals, agribusiness and food systems, and digital transformation and connectivity.
The Guardian separately reported that about 170 projects valued at approximately $108 billion are already identified within the broader pipeline, indicating that the $180 billion figure represents the wider investment ambition rather than funds already secured.
The summit is expected to bring together heads of state, ministers, investors, development finance institutions and business leaders to advance investment-ready projects and regional value chains.
WAIIS is scheduled to hold its main meetings in Sierra Leone in November, with discussions expected to focus on turning proposed projects into bankable investments and strengthening trade and industrial cooperation across West Africa.
The initiative’s four strategic pillars—energy, strategic minerals, agribusiness and digital transformation—are intended to address major barriers to regional economic integration while creating opportunities for investment, industrialisation and employment.
