The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed Africa’s foremost industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as the inaugural Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council (EBC) — a landmark move aimed at reshaping private-sector leadership and accelerating regional economic integration.
The announcement was made in Abuja by Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, during the opening of the 95th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
Designed as an independent, high-level platform, the ECOWAS Business Council will serve as the apex private-sector advisory body for ECOWAS, bridging the gap between businesses and policymakers, strengthening intra-regional trade, and catalysing investment flows across the 15-nation bloc.
Why Dangote?
Touray said the choice of Dangote was both strategic and symbolic — reflecting the billionaire’s unrivalled footprint in manufacturing, logistics, energy, and infrastructure across West Africa and the African continent.
According to him, Dangote’s expansive operations — from cement and sugar to petrochemicals and fertiliser — exemplify the scale, ambition, and integration-minded ethos needed to advance West Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
A Region Ready for Intra-African Investment
Touray noted that ECOWAS Member States are increasingly prioritising regional investment, citing recent high-profile economic fora such as:
- Forum Senegal Invest
- West African Economic Summit (Nigeria)
- Invest in District Savanes (Côte d’Ivoire)
These developments, he said, underscore a growing appetite to mobilise African capital for African development, reducing reliance on unpredictable foreign investment flows.
What the EBC Will Do
As the Council’s pioneer chairman, Dangote will oversee efforts to:
- Deepen intra-regional trade and harmonise business environments
- Strengthen the voice of the private sector in ECOWAS decision-making
- Facilitate partnerships between businesses, governments, and regional institutions
- Accelerate industrialisation and value-chain development within the bloc
Touray expressed optimism that with the right incentives, West Africa’s private sector — led by heavyweight actors such as Dangote — can become the engine room of regional growth, job creation, and economic resilience.
BRANDECONOMY Insight
Dangote’s appointment is far more than a symbolic gesture. It represents ECOWAS’ pivot toward private sector–led regional integration, a model consistent with global best practice. With West Africa housing over 400 million consumers, the EBC—led by Africa’s most influential industrialist—could become the missing link in harmonising regulation, unlocking cross-border logistics, and catalysing the West African Single Market.
For businesses within the region, this signals a more predictable and collaborative investment environment, while for policymakers, it marks the beginning of a more coordinated and commercially grounded integration framework.
