UNCTAD Trains ECOWAS Experts in Lagos to Fast-Track Digital Trade Reforms.
By Raymond Enoch
In a groundbreaking effort to catalyze regional digital trade reforms, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), convened a high-level training session in Lagos, Nigeria, aimed at equipping ECOWAS Commission experts with the strategic tools and capacity to drive coordinated reforms across the West African digital commerce landscape.
The training held on the 14th of July, 2025, focused on the deployment of UNCTAD’s cutting-edge e-Trade Reform Tracker (eTRT)—a transformative digital platform designed to monitor reform progress, align institutional actions, and strengthen accountability mechanisms across ECOWAS member states.
The eTRT tool stands as a significant innovation in the digital economy policy space, serving not just as a tracker but also as a coordination and governance enabler. The training in Lagos marked the beginning of a comprehensive knowledge transfer initiative that underscores the urgency and commitment of regional bodies to streamline and accelerate digital trade policies.
The participating experts, drawn from multiple directorates of the ECOWAS Commission, were immersed in hands-on sessions focused on optimizing eTRT’s functionalities, customizing reform timelines, and aligning national actions with broader regional digital economy strategies.
According to UNCTAD facilitators, the training aims to bridge the operational gaps between policy conception and policy execution by introducing real-time, data-driven performance tracking, enabling decision-makers to identify bottlenecks, assess impact, and refine strategies accordingly.
The initiative’s core objective is to ensure synergy and coherence in the implementation of digital trade reforms, fostering a harmonized regulatory ecosystem that can position West Africa as a digitally competitive and inclusive economic bloc. The eTRT is also expected to foster institutional transparency and enhance donor confidence in the region’s digital transformation agenda.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, one ECOWAS official noted, “This training is not just technical; it is strategic. It marks our shift from fragmented digital reform attempts to a synchronized and accountable regional approach.”
As Africa increasingly positions itself as a global digital economy player, initiatives such as the UNCTAD-ECOWAS collaboration serve as vital catalysts in aligning policy with innovation. The Lagos training sets a precedent for results-oriented digital trade reform, reaffirming ECOWAS’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive economic growth and regional integration.
