Youth Take the Lead on Trade and Innovation, as MFA, Global Shapers Host Regional Roundtable Ahead of WAES 2025.
By Raymond Enoch
In a powerful demonstration of youth leadership and regional cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in partnership with the Abuja and Lagos Global Shapers Hubs—initiatives of the World Economic Forum—convened the West Africa Youth Futures Roundtable on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Held at the iconic Rotunda Hall of the Ministry and broadcast across Anglophone and Francophone West Africa, the event brought together over 100 young leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators under the theme: “AfCFTA and Youth-Led Innovation: Breaking Market Barriers.” The gathering served as a strategic prelude to the upcoming West Africa Economic Summit (WAES 2025).
With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a focal point, discussions centered on how young people can leverage innovation to overcome structural barriers and build a more inclusive and integrated West African economy.
Key thematic sessions explored:
Access to capital and scale for MSMEs
Cross-border trade and digital platforms
Innovation ecosystems for youth employment
Participants addressed forward-looking questions such as how financing can reach youth-led MSMEs beyond urban centers, how digital trade platforms can reduce friction across borders, and what types of innovation ecosystems best support sustainable employment.
In her goodwill message, Hon. Simi Fajemirokun, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to a youth-centered trade diplomacy. She noted that “the AfCFTA will only succeed if it creates space for young entrepreneurs and emerging innovators to shape its outcomes.”
Ambassador Oluremi, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, highlighted the potential of innovation as a driver of regional competitiveness and job creation, urging greater policy alignment to unlock this potential.
The roundtable also featured insights from regional thought leaders across the private, public, and development sectors, including economists, digital strategists, and grassroots innovators.
A key takeaway from the event was the call for stronger public-private collaboration and the need to include informal entrepreneurs—especially rural and marginalized youth—in regional policy conversations.
Participants were invited to co-develop youth-led trade policy recommendations for presentation at WAES 2025, reinforcing their role as key stakeholders in West Africa’s economic transformation.
According to Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the roundtable marked “a significant step forward in placing youth voices at the heart of continental trade conversations.” He emphasized the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to youth diplomacy and innovation-driven regional growth.
As the countdown to WAES 2025 continues, the Roundtable stands as a bold statement of intent: West Africa’s future will be co-created by its youth.
