Tinubu welcomes investors to West African Economic Summit

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed regional leaders, international investors, and business executives to Abuja for the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), describing the event as a pivotal step toward unlocking the region’s vast economic potential through unity and strategic collaboration.

Although the Nigerian leader is expected to attend the summit in person on Saturday, he used his verified X handle, @officialABAT, to extend warm greetings to all participants arriving for the opening day, expressing confidence in the summit’s potential to reshape the economic future of the sub-region.

“In keeping with my promise to convene a regional economic summit leveraging the opportunities and strengths of the West African economy, I welcome fellow Heads of Government, regional and international business executives, global investors, and the public to Abuja for the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit starting today,” the President posted.

With the rallying theme “One Voice, One Future”, the two-day summit is bringing together heads of state from ECOWAS member countries, global finance leaders, private sector giants, and development partners to explore new pathways for economic integration, trade facilitation, and shared prosperity across the West African sub-region.

President Tinubu, who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, has championed stronger regional cooperation and cross-border investment frameworks as part of his broader foreign policy and economic strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“West Africa is speaking with #OneVoiceOneFuture,” he added in his Friday post, reinforcing the unifying message that has defined the build-up to the summit.

The West Africa Economic Summit, holding at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, will feature policy dialogues, investment matchmaking sessions, panel discussions on infrastructure and innovation, and country-specific presentations on investment opportunities. 

Delegations from across West Africa are expected to showcase national projects and reforms that align with regional growth aspirations.

The event, being hosted by President Tinubu and coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designed to position West Africa as an attractive destination for global capital while deepening regional trade links in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).