WAES 2025: Tuggar Rallies West African Diplomats for Landmark Economic Summit in Nigeria.
By Raymond Enoch
In a significant diplomatic engagement aimed at rewriting the region’s economic narrative, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, has called on West African envoys to unite behind the upcoming West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), a high-profile regional event set to take place in Abuja from June 20–21, 2025.
Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, where he hosted ambassadors from across West Africa, Tuggar described the summit as a historic opportunity to redefine the region’s economic future through collective prosperity and integration — beyond traditional political boundaries and institutional limitations.
“WAES is not just another summit — it is a turning point, an inclusive and practical response to the region’s longstanding challenges in trade, infrastructure, and innovation,” Tuggar said. “For too long, West Africa has remained short-changed in global commerce. That must change — and it will, starting now.”
A Vision from the Top
WAES is a flagship initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who first proposed the idea during his inaugural speech as Chairman of ECOWAS. His vision, as reinforced by Ambassador Tuggar, is to move West Africa from the margins of the global economy into a new era of inclusive, self-directed growth.
President Tinubu has reportedly written personally to his West African counterparts, extending formal invitations and appointing Special Envoys to deliver them — signaling a strong political will behind the initiative.
Summit with a Difference
Unlike previous regional summits, WAES has been designed to operate outside the traditional ECOWAS framework, in order to encourage broader participation and faster, more agile economic solutions. The summit will gather Heads of State, Ministers, private sector leaders, youth innovators, and development partners, bridging the divide between policy and practical action.
Tuggar underscored that WAES will focus heavily on youth-driven innovation, scalable investment opportunities, and the removal of trade barriers that have stifled intra-African commerce for decades.
In an impassioned plea, Tuggar urged ambassadors to act as WAES Champions, rallying their respective governments, business communities, and youth networks to attend and contribute meaningfully to the summit.
“Let us see every flag of West Africa represented, every voice heard, and every country’s corporate sector showcased,” he said. “This is a moment of shared responsibility. As the world shifts, West Africa must rise — not as a resource base for others, but as a fully engaged economic force.”
Ambassador Tuggar outlined four specific areas where diplomatic missions could lend crucial support:
Facilitate the attendance of Heads of State and key ministers.
Mobilize business communities and chambers of commerce.
Engage youth and innovation networks for the Enterprise Expo.
Offer strategic input as the summit agenda is finalized.
He concluded his address with a call for collective commitment, adding, “We must walk the road to WAES together — for our people, our economies, and our future.”
As regional tensions, global realignments, and economic protectionism redefine geopolitics, the West Africa Economic Summit 2025 is shaping up to be more than an event — it is emerging as a movement.
