West Africa Summit Seeks To Convert Trade Growth To Industrial Capacity

The West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade Summit and Exhibition (West Africa IMT 2026), scheduled for March 3 to 5, 2026, in Lagos, is designed to address one central challenge confronting the sub-region: how to translate rising intra-African trade and policy alignment into real industrial capacity, stronger manufacturing output and sustainable economic growth.

Organisers of the summit said the event is deliberately structured to move beyond broad conversations on industrialisation to practical solutions that link trade expansion with production capability, infrastructure delivery and long-term investment. As West Africa records growing trade flows under continental and regional integration frameworks, the focus is shifting to whether existing industrial systems can meet demand, compete globally and generate jobs at scale.

Recent data highlight the urgency of this conversation. Nigeria’s exports to other African countries rose by 14 per cent to N4.82 trillion, with more than 60 per cent destined for West African markets, while Ghana’s 24-hour economy policy is already boosting output and employment in pilot manufacturing zones.

The speaker faculty includes the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh; Benin Republic’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Shadiya Alimatou Assouman; Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari; Senegal’s Vice Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Cheikh Niane; and executives from leading industrial, finance and infrastructure companies operating across the region.

According to the organisers, these trends reflect expanding regional demand but also expose gaps in logistics efficiency, power supply, industrial infrastructure, and access to finance that could limit sustained growth if left unaddressed.

West Africa IMT 2026 aims to address these constraints by convening policymakers, manufacturers, financiers, infrastructure developers, and technology providers around a shared agenda for execution. Key focus areas include industrial capacity expansion, value-added manufacturing, efficient trade systems, resilient infrastructure, energy availability and financing structures capable of supporting large-scale industrial projects across borders.

The summit is endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, which said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s industrialisation and regional trade objectives.

Mr Enoh noted that industrial growth is fundamental to job creation, skills development and long-term prosperity, stressing that the region’s future will depend on how decisively governments and the private sector embrace industrialisation.

Organisers said the event also seeks to address the growing need for coordination among government policy, private-sector execution, and investment capital, particularly as AfCFTA implementation timelines advance and global competition for manufacturing investment intensifies. Discussions are expected to be grounded in regulatory realities while remaining focused on delivery, partnerships and measurable outcomes.

By centring its programme on infrastructure, power, capital mobilisation and trade enablers, West Africa IMT 2026 is positioned as a platform where industrial policies are tested against project realities, and where regional ambitions can be translated into bankable projects and operational factories.