ARCC, UEMOA Move to Sensitize Key Stakeholders in Guinea on Competition Law and Policy in West Africa By Raymond Enoch
Conakry, Guinea — In a strategic push to strengthen fair market practices across the sub-region, the Regional Competition Authority of ECOWAS (ARCC), in collaboration with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), has begun a high-level sensitization drive aimed at deepening understanding of competition law and policy in West Africa.
The three-day national information and sensitization seminar, holding from March 25 to 27, 2026 in Conakry, is supported by the European Union under the Support Programme for Competition and Consumer Product Safety (PACoSPro) in Sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa component.
The gathering brings together key actors from government institutions, the private sector, and civil society in Guinea, with a clear objective: to popularize competition law and policy among stakeholders whose decisions shape markets and directly affect consumers.
Organisers say the initiative is a crucial step toward addressing long-standing gaps in awareness and enforcement of competition regulations across the region. Despite the existence of legal frameworks, many market players remain unfamiliar with the principles guiding fair competition, leaving room for practices such as price-fixing, abuse of dominance, and unfair trade conduct.
By equipping participants with practical knowledge, the seminar is expected to strengthen institutional capacity and encourage compliance with rules designed to promote transparency, accountability, and healthy market rivalry.
The ECOWAS Commission, through its specialized agency ARCC, is using the platform to reaffirm its commitment to consumer welfare and regional economic integration. Officials stress that effective competition policy is central to building resilient economies, protecting small businesses, and ensuring that consumers are not subjected to exploitative pricing or limited choices.
Participants are also examining how stronger cooperation between regional and national bodies can improve enforcement, especially as businesses increasingly operate across borders within West Africa.
As discussions continue in Conakry, expectations are high that the sensitization effort will trigger a ripple effect—one that not only improves awareness but also drives concrete action toward fairer, more competitive markets across the region.
