ECOWAS Trains Legal Advisers on AfCFTA Implementation at a Strategic Workshop in Banjul, Gambia.
Raymond Enoch
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in a decisive push towards deepening regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has launched a strategic capacity-building workshop tailored for legal advisers of its Community institutions.
The high-level training, which commenced on June 30, 2025, in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia, is a joint effort of the ECOWAS Trade and Legal Affairs Directorates. It underscores the Commission’s unwavering commitment to aligning its legal frameworks with the AfCFTA’s evolving regulatory landscape.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the ECOWAS Director of Trade, Mr. Kolawole Sofola, described legal advisers as “critical enablers of integration.” He noted that their role goes beyond technical support — they are pivotal in crafting legal pathways that ensure the seamless implementation of trade policies and protocols within the region.
“This workshop represents not just a training session, but a strategic investment in legal capacity that will power the AfCFTA implementation across West Africa,” Sofola said.
The event was officially opened by Honourable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice. Justice Koroma reaffirmed the Court’s commitment to the AfCFTA agenda, highlighting the judiciary’s essential role in ensuring that the rules underpinning the free trade regime are interpreted and upheld fairly and consistently.
The workshop features expert-led sessions on the AfCFTA legal framework, dispute settlement mechanisms, and strategies for legal harmonization. It also provides a collaborative platform for ECOWAS legal officers to share best practices and build a coherent legal response to integration challenges.
As the AfCFTA moves from negotiation to implementation, this initiative is a timely reminder that legal coherence and institutional readiness are vital for its success — and that ECOWAS is putting its legal brain trust front and center in this continental journey.
