ECOWAS Parliament Calls for Sanctions and Trade Reforms to Boost West African MSMEs

At a delocalised meeting of its Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector in Cotonou, Benin, the ECOWAS Parliament urged member states to enforce existing policies that support micro, small and medium‑sized enterprises (MSMEs). Former ECOWAS private‑sector director Dr Tony Elumelu said that sanctions should be considered for states that fail to implement agreed protocols, arguing that weak compliance hampers regional trade and private‑sector growth.

During a two‑day field visit, parliamentarians heard from entrepreneur Madam Guedegbe Marcos, whose pineapple‑juice factory faces bureaucratic bottlenecks, especially at borders with Nigeria and Ghana. She noted that exporting within ECOWAS is more difficult than reaching Europe or Canada, despite a loan from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development. Parliament members pledged to work with lawmakers across the bloc to remove trade barriers, formalise the informal sector, and improve access to finance for MSMEs.