The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating industrialisation through the development of a competitive, integrated and sustainable automotive industry across the region.
Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, gave the assurance when he received the Executive Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Group, Dr. Innocent I. Chukwuma, on a courtesy visit in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of a regional forum on the development of the automotive industry organised by the ECOWAS Commission from August 4 to 6.
Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, gave the assurance when he received the Executive Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Group, Dr. Innocent I. Chukwuma, on a courtesy visit in Abuja, Nigeria.
The forum, organised through the Commission’s Private Sector and Industry Directorate, is focused on accelerating implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Automotive Industrial Policy Framework.
Dr. Touray stressed the importance of developing an integrated automotive sector capable of supporting industrial growth, creating jobs and strengthening economic cooperation among West African countries.
The three-day forum brings together policymakers, automobile manufacturers, customs authorities, financial institutions, development partners and private-sector representatives from across the region.
Participants are examining practical measures to strengthen regional automotive value chains, attract investment and create an enabling environment for sustainable industrial development.
Driving regional manufacturing
The engagement with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing is particularly significant as the Nigerian company represents one of Africa’s notable indigenous automobile manufacturers. Its participation provides an opportunity for ECOWAS to draw on private-sector experience in vehicle production, local manufacturing and regional market development.
A stronger regional automotive industry could enable West African countries to move beyond the importation of fully assembled vehicles towards greater local production, component manufacturing and value addition.
Such an approach could also encourage investment in supporting industries, including steel, plastics, electronics, tyres, batteries, engineering and vehicle maintenance.
Trade and economic integration
The development of a regional automotive value chain is also closely linked to ECOWAS efforts to deepen intra-regional trade.
A harmonised automotive policy, common standards and more efficient customs procedures could make it easier for vehicles and locally manufactured components to move across West African markets.
The initiative therefore has implications beyond the automobile sector, with potential benefits for employment, skills development, technology transfer, industrial investment and regional economic integration.
The forum is expected to produce concrete recommendations to support the implementation of the regional automotive industrial policy and strengthen cooperation between governments and the private sector.
For ECOWAS, the broader objective is to build an industrial base that enables West Africa to produce more of what it consumes, create decent employment for its growing youth population and compete more effectively in the global automotive market.
