Participants at the meeting of the ECOWAS Small-Scale Business Coalition (ESBC), in Praia, Cape Verde on Monday(Photo: NAN)
By Mark Longyen
(2nd from left):Cape Verdean Minister of Investment Promotion and Business Development, Eurico Monteiro, being received on arrival at the venue of the meeting by Dr Tony Elumelu, ECOWAS Director, Private Sector, to his left, alongside other dignitaries(NAN).
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the ECOWAS Small Business Coalition (ESBC), have pledged to deepen their collaboration toward empowering Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as engines of regional economic growth and development.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs Massandjé Toure-Litse, made this known at a meeting of the ECOWAS Small-Scale Business Coalition (ESBC), in Praia, Cape Verde on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, with the theme: “Empowering Women for Sustainable Trade, Investment Opportunities and Economic Growth,” was also to commemorate International Women’s Day 2025.
Represented by Dr Tony Elumelu, ECOWAS Director, Private Sector, Toure-Litse urged member states to collectively seize the opportunity to chart actionable pathways for integration, competitiveness, and innovation.
She also urged them to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as their springboard to harness industrialisation, trade frameworks, and ignite investments that transform challenges into opportunities.
According to the commissioner, the coalition stands as a beacon of hope, and is poised to unlock job creation, empower women and youth, as well as bolster member states’ economies through collaboration.
Amused participants watch during an interesting moment of the event.
“Let us seize today’s discussions to chart actionable pathways for integration, competitiveness, and innovation, and let this gathering yield bold, actionable strategies that accelerate our collective aspirations.
“With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as our springboard, we must harness industrialisation, leverage trade frameworks, and ignite investments that transform challenges into opportunities.
“Together, let us forge ahead with optimism, unity, and the shared belief that our collaboration will illuminate the path to prosperity,” she said.
Toure-Litse described the formation of ESBC as a milestone achievement and a testament to the coalition’s unwavering collective resolve to foster subregional economic growth, innovation, and empowerment.
(3rd from left): The First Lady of Cape Verde, Mrs Debora Carvalho, who declared the event open, poses in a group photo with top ECOWAS and ESBC officials(NAN)
The commissioner said that ESBC had laid the foundation for a thriving ecosystem that uplifted businesses and communities alike, adding that the journey thus far has been one of inspiring triumphs.
“Today, we gather not only as partners in progress but as architects of a brighter and more prosperous future for our region.
“As we mark the joyous occasion of Women’s Day, we shine a light on the indispensable contributions of women entrepreneurs and leaders who propel our economies forward.
“Their resilience and ingenuity are the bedrock of sustainable development,” she added.
Dr Abdulrashid Yerima, President, ESBC, in an address of welcome, said that the theme of the event was not merely a slogan but a clarion call to action.
According to him, AfCFTA and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) are not just frameworks but gateways to unlocking the potential of millions of women-led businesses.
Yerima said that investing in women’s access to finance, digital tools, and cross-border markets, was synonymous with investing in sustainable growth that lifts entire communities.
He described the event as a celebration of the indomitable spirit of women across West Africa and the world, whose leadership and innovation are shaping a future of shared prosperity and resilience.
“As we celebrate, let us also recommit, let us pledge to dismantle barriers, amplify women’s voices in policy-making, and build ecosystems where every woman entrepreneur can thrive.
“The women of West Africa are not just participants in this journey—they are its architects. To all the phenomenal women here today, your resilience ignites hope, your innovation drives progress, your leadership lights the path forward.
“Let us march ahead, unite in purpose, to forge a future where every woman’s potential is realised, and every MSME’s ambition is met with opportunity,” the ESBC president said.
Cape Verde’s First Lady, Mrs Debora Carvalho, expressed appreciation to ECOWAS for choosing to hold the event in her country and assured of cooperating with ESBC to achieve its goals and objectives.
Also speaking, Cape Verdean Minister of Investment Promotion and Business Development, Eurico Monteiro, pledged the country’s cooperation with ESBC toward achieving West Africa’s economic development and integration objectives, going forward(NAN)
