The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, on Monday called for an urgent transition from what he described as “paper integration” to practical, results-driven cooperation to unlock the full trade potential of the Economic Community of West African States under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Kalu made the call at a parliamentary seminar titled “Deepening regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area: Opportunities and challenges for expanding intra-community trade within ECOWAS.”
According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Print Affairs, Udora Orizu, the Deputy Speaker expressed concern that intra-ECOWAS trade remains low despite the region’s economic size and market potential.
He noted that while intra-African trade rose to $220.3bn (16 per cent) in 2025, trade within ECOWAS has stagnated at 11.5 per cent, even as the sub-region represents a combined market valued at $3.4tn.
Kalu identified weak infrastructure, border delays and administrative bottlenecks as major barriers to trade expansion, stressing that the gap between policy commitments and implementation must be urgently addressed.
Describing the Abidjan–Lagos corridor as the economic spine of the sub-region, he said the project remains incomplete and continues to be undermined by operational inefficiencies.
Kalu said, “In today’s geopolitical climate, AfCFTA is no longer just a trade agreement; it has become the strategic engine that must power Africa’s industrial resilience and survival. In a world of fragmenting global supply chains, Africa must trade with itself to thrive.
