ECOWAS Business Council unveils private-sector-led “Power W.A.” initiative to prioritise regional energy sufficiency as catalyst for industrial growth across West Africa, framework finalised at Lagos bilateral meeting.
The meeting took place at the Dangote Industries headquarters in Ikoyi on October 2, 2026, between the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, and Prof. Hassan Mahmud, Chief Economist of the Dangote Group and focal person for the ECOWAS Business Council Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Commissioner Zuo was accompanied by the Acting Director of Private Sector and Industry, Mr. Oluonye Peter O. Chukwudi, and the Executive Assistant to the Commissioner, Mr. Benedict D. Robert.
In a report from the Economic Community of West African States, the deliberations centred on aligning new ECOWAS management priorities with the operationalisation of the Business Council, drawing on decisions from the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in July 2026.
Those priorities include operationalising the council, implementing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), preparing for the 2027 ECO single currency launch and strengthening regional food security.
Speaking on behalf of the council chairman, Prof. Mahmud said Alhaji Dangote’s two-year tenure will centre on developing regional energy project corridors to tackle persistent electricity deficits constraining commerce, leaving administrative governance to the Commission for long-term sustainability.
Under the plan, “Power W.A.” will establish industrial power corridors backed by a comprehensive regional electricity demand-and-supply gap study.
To fund the projects, the Business Council will assemble a membership base of regional business leaders and engage multilateral financial institutions including Afreximbank, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), while relying on ECOWAS and national governments to provide policy guarantees and an enabling environment.
The meeting also set operational milestones for the council, which comprises one representative from each ECOWAS Member State alongside two additional representatives from Nigeria.
With five regional nominees and two Nigerian representatives already committed, both parties agreed to convene the inaugural ECOWAS Business Council meeting between late October and early November 2026.
Ahead of that meeting, a consultation will be arranged between Alhaji Dangote and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop.
Commissioner Zuo welcomed the alignment, noting the importance of securing approval during the upcoming Council of Ministers meeting in December 2026.
As immediate next steps, the Business Council will share its concept note and membership roster, while the Commission uses existing baseline studies from its Energy and Solid Minerals Directorates to drive the proposed electricity demand-and-supply assessment.
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