ABUJA, Nigeria — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. on Saturday positioned Liberia as a rising voice for regional integration and financial reform, calling on West African leaders to dismantle commerce obstacles and seize shared alternatives for development and stability.
Talking on the inaugural West Africa Financial Summit (WAES) in Abuja, Nigeria, President Boakai delivered a forceful message: the area should transfer past rhetoric and act decisively to unlock its financial potential by way of cooperation, infrastructure funding, and inclusive improvement.
“The challenges we face are advanced, however not insurmountable,” Boakai advised the Excessive-Stage Panel on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Worldwide Convention Centre. “Now’s the time to behave boldly–for our folks, our economies, and our future.”
The summit, held underneath the theme “Unlocking West Africa’s Financial Potential,” convened ECOWAS heads of state, enterprise leaders, economists, and policymakers. It comes amid mounting strain for deeper regional commerce integration and simply weeks forward of the fiftieth anniversary of ECOWAS and the 67th Bizarre Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Authorities.
Boakai praised Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for internet hosting what he described as a “strategic and well timed” summit centered squarely on regional financial challenges and alternatives.
Liberia Pledges to Champion Peace
Boakai’s remarks come as Liberia prepares to imagine a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Safety Council for the 2026-2027 time period. The President used the platform to thank ECOWAS member states for his or her unanimous backing and pledged to make use of the seat to champion peace, dialogue, and regional solidarity.
“Liberia will use its voice on the UN Safety Council to amplify the issues of our area and to strengthen the bonds that tie us collectively,” he stated.
Liberia’s ARREST Agenda Positioned for Regional Commerce Influence
President Boakai outlined key pillars of Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Improvement, highlighting investments in agriculture, port modernization, renewable vitality, and digital transformation. He stated these priorities align seamlessly with ECOWAS’s integration targets and the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA).
“We’re laying the inspiration for Liberia to turn out to be a hub for commerce, innovation, and investment–not simply within the Mano River Union, however throughout the ECOWAS area,” Boakai stated.
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He underscored the pressing must harmonize commerce insurance policies, increase intra-regional commerce, and create cross-border infrastructure that connects markets and folks.
Name for Reconciliation with ECOWAS Exits
In one of many summit’s most hanging moments, President Boakai urged member states to go away the door open for international locations which have exited the bloc amid political transitions and inner strife.
“We should hold the door open for reconciliation,” he appealed. “The energy of ECOWAS lies in its unity. No nation needs to be left behind.”
Following Saturday’s summit, consideration now turns to Sunday’s 67th Bizarre Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Authorities, set to happen on the Presidential Villa’s Outdated Banquet Corridor in Abuja. The high-level gathering will mark 5 a long time of regional cooperation and debate new methods for peace, financial development, and democratic consolidation.
