ECOWAS Rallies Stakeholders as Preparations Intensify for Major Regional Trade and Investment Forum.
By Raymond Enoch
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has intensified preparations for its landmark Trade and Investment Forum and Exhibition (ECOTIFE), set to take place from 7th to 16th November 2025 at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Nigeria.
At the official opening of the ECOTIFE planning committee meeting on Thursday, 25th September 2025, the ECOWAS Director of Trade, Kolawole Sofola, expressed firm optimism about the transformative potential of the event. Representing the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Oumar Alieu Touray, and the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Ms Massandjé Touré-Litsé, Sofola said ECOTIFE is poised to be a pivotal platform for deepening regional economic cooperation and accelerating growth across West Africa.
According to him, ECOTIFE will bring together key players from the public and private sectors, development partners, and regional institutions to deliberate on pragmatic strategies for expanding trade and investment within the ECOWAS subregion. Through a dynamic mix of dialogue sessions, exhibitions, and networking activities, the forum will spotlight the economic potential of member states while fostering a conducive environment for sustainable development, regional integration, and job creation.
Sofola emphasized that the initiative reflects ECOWAS’s broader commitment to building a resilient and inclusive West African economy driven by collaboration, innovation, and opportunity.
