While addressing the session, with the theme; "Deepening Regional Integration through the AfCFTA: Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Intra-Community Trade," the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima,, urged Parliamentarians to deliberate with rigor and purpose, stressing that the AfCFTA represents a historic opportunity to make the region an integrated, prosperous, and resilient economic power.
"The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has now entered its operational phase. It aims to create one of the largest markets in the world by population. Our responsibility is clear: to make this instrument a lever for structural transformation in West Africa.
"With nearly fifty years of integration experience, ECOWAS cannot merely accompany this process. It must lead, coordinate, and harmonize it. This is a historic imperative, especially as our region hosts the Secretariat of this Agreement.
"With optimism strengthened by our convictions and commitment, I declare open the parliamentary seminar and the First Extraordinary Session of 2026.
"May our work here in Abuja mark a decisive turning point in advancing integration — more efficient, more effective, and closer to our people," she said.
The Speaker maintained that the strategic priorities remain threefold:; consolidating democracy and the rule of law; preserving peace and security and promoting women’s leadership.
"We welcome the lifting of sanctions against Guinea following the December 2025 presidential election and congratulate President Mamadi Doumbouya and the Guinean people. We also look forward to peaceful, credible elections in Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Benin, and encourage continued dialogue in Guinea-Bissau.
"Terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational crime continue to threaten our region. Security solidarity is not optional; it is an obligation. We call for strengthened cooperation, enhanced intelligence sharing, and effective deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
"While we have achieved a 30 percent quota for women in parliamentary delegations and several national laws, we must go further to ensure meaningful and transformative participation.
"I commend the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) and urge it to move from advocacy to measurable action. Our decisions shape the future of our citizens. May our debates yield clear orientations, actionable recommendations, and transformative resolutions."
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy Senate President of the Nigerian National Assembly, Senator Barau Jibrin, emphasised that deeper integration is critical for West Africa to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Senator Barau warned that fragmentation and isolation could marginalise the region, urging member states to unite economically and politically to secure markets, defend democracy, and safeguard prosperity.
According to him, AfCFTA as a historic restoration of Africa’s traditional interconnected trade systems, noting that pre-colonial West Africa thrived through commerce and cooperation across borders.
On his part, the Deputy Senate President advocated practical implementation of AfCFTA commitments, including harmonised standards, efficient ports, transparent customs systems, and digital trade infrastructure to reduce costs and empower entrepreneurs.
Both speakers underscored the region’s youthful population as a major asset, urging member states to leverage AfCFTA to promote digital commerce, agro-processing, creative industries, and renewable energy partnerships to create sustainable jobs.
The opening ceremony also marked the commencement of deliberations on the ECOWAS Parliament’s 2026 Annual Work Plan, with participants expressing optimism that the session would accelerate regional integration and position West Africa as a competitive and resilient economic bloc.