5th February 2026
The West African sub-region has expressed optimism that its projected economic growth rate of five per cent in 2026 reflects strong resilience despite persistent challenges, including widespread insecurity. This outlook was disclosed by the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, during a meeting with development partners on Thursday at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, where he presented the region’s annual report.
According to the report, West Africa recorded economic growth of 4.6 per cent in 2025, outperforming the continental average. While global economic growth slowed in 2025 and uncertainty remained high despite easing inflation, Africa continued to demonstrate resilience, with growth recovering, inflation declining, and political stability improving in parts of the continent. Touray noted that ECOWAS mirrored this trend, attributing the region’s performance to structural reforms, increased investment in mining and energy, improved regional trade facilitation, and a strong rebound in services, transport, and tourism.
Although inflation remains elevated, the report noted a decline across several member states, supported by coordinated monetary policies and improved food supply conditions. Fiscal deficits have narrowed as governments strengthened revenue mobilisation and rationalised expenditure, while debt-to-GDP ratios declined modestly due to strong nominal growth and improved macroeconomic management. The region’s external position also remained sound, with the current account surplus strengthened by strong export earnings from oil, gold, and bauxite, alongside improved primary income balances.
In addressing security, the Commission highlighted intensified preventive diplomacy, mediation, and democratic support efforts, noting progress in combating organised crime and terrorism. While attacks declined slightly, fatalities increased due to the rising use of improvised explosive devices. To strengthen arms control, ECOWAS donated weapons-marking machines to four member states and conducted assessment missions to The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, underscoring the need for enhanced training, stronger monitoring and evaluation, and clear exit strategies for ECOWAS missions.
On regional integration, Touray announced the launch of the second phase of the free movement and migration project and the validation of the ECOVISA online portal. He added that seven member states, including Nigeria, are now implementing the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card. Cross-border cooperation also intensified during the year, benefiting border communities—particularly women—with improved informal cross-border trade data collection and Ghana publishing its first national report in 2025. The report noted that over 1,300 small-scale cross-border traders and 50 women-led SMEs benefited from capacity-building initiatives, while expanded digital skills training created new opportunities for rural women.
Despite these gains, the report warned that significant challenges persist, particularly insecurity driven by terrorism and violent extremism in countries such as Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso, often fuelled by illicit arms trafficking. Food insecurity also poses a major threat, with the United Nations World Food Programme warning that about 35 million Nigerians could face acute food shortages, while up to 55 million people across West and Central Africa may experience severe food crises in 2026 if urgent action is not taken. The crisis is being driven by escalating violence that disrupts agricultural production and supply routes, reduced humanitarian assistance, and rising inflation that has pushed up the cost of food, fertilisers, and fuel, severely constraining household purchasing power.