Ofosu-Adjare Calls on ECOWAS to Harmonize Trade Standards and Unlock Intra-African Growth Through AfCFTA

In Abuja last week, during the 4th Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry, Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness & Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, delivered a message long overdue but more urgent than ever: if West Africa is serious about unlocking the full promise of intra-African trade, it must harmonize its standards—now.

Accra Street Journal | Trade Without Borders: Why ECOWAS Must Heed Ofosu-Adjare’s Call to Harmonize Standards By Accra Street Journal Editorial Board

Her call to action, framed within the symbolic context of ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary, was more than ceremonial. It was strategic, timely, and pragmatic. Regional fragmentation in standards—from customs classifications to product safety requirements—continues to stifle trade across the bloc. And as global economic uncertainty intensifies, the cost of doing nothing is rising.

“The 50th anniversary of ECOWAS should spur Member countries to reflect on the modest achievements made and chart a new course for the years ahead,” Ofosu-Adjare said, offering a diplomatic but unmistakable critique: ECOWAS has underdelivered on one of its core mandates—regional economic integration.

The statistics bear her out. Intra-African trade still represents just 15% of total African trade, compared to over 60% in Europe. Tariffs are only part of the problem. The larger, more persistent obstacle is the lack of shared regulatory frameworks—standards that align product quality, testing, labeling, and logistics protocols across borders.

This is where the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) becomes not just a continental vision, but a test of regional willpower. Ofosu-Adjare correctly underscored AfCFTA’s transformative potential, citing forecasts that suggest a 7% GDP lift—about US$45 billion—by 2035. But numbers alone won’t change the reality on the ground unless ministers move from summits to systems. Without harmonized standards, AfCFTA risks becoming an agreement without traction.

What’s more, the challenges go beyond paperwork. Infrastructure gaps remain a key bottleneck. Ofosu-Adjare’s insistence on stronger coordination with ECOWAS Transport Ministers was a reminder that you can’t trade what you can’t move. From cross-border highways to customs automation, physical and digital connectivity are essential to making regional trade competitive.

And yet, the moment holds promise. The geopolitical reshuffling of supply chains and renewed interest in Africa’s markets presents a rare opportunity for ECOWAS to assert itself—not just as a political bloc, but as a functional trade union. Ministerial solidarity, as demonstrated by the presence of high-level officials like Nigeria’s Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, reflects a shared understanding of the stakes.

What’s needed now is execution. The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) must push through cooperation agreements that not only protect consumers but also enable businesses—particularly SMEs—to navigate regional markets without unnecessary red tape.

The Accra Street Journal believes that Ofosu-Adjare’s challenge to her ECOWAS peers should be treated not as a policy suggestion, but as a policy imperative. West Africa doesn’t lack potential. It lacks uniformity. And without that, the dream of a unified African market will remain what it has largely been: aspirational.

It is time to move from aspiration to alignment. ECOWAS has the tools. What it needs is the resolve.

Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by samboad