ECOWAS Greenlights President Bio’s 2026 West Africa Investment Summit
- Grace Bangura
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially sanctioned the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS 2026), a major regional initiative led by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio during his chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority.
The formal approval was secured at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Regional leaders endorsed the summit’s framework and mandated collaboration with the ECOWAS Business Council to drive private sector-led economic growth.
Scheduled for November 16–18, 2026, in Lungi, the summit aims to convene Heads of State, ministers, investors, and development partners. The event, themed “Powering Regional Integration through Energy Trade, Strategic Minerals, Agribusiness and Digital Transformation,” will focus on critical areas such as industrial growth, natural resource development, food systems, and regional digital connectivity.
President Bio emphasized that the initiative is designed to mobilize capital and unlock cross-border investment opportunities, stating, “This initiative will bring together governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector to mobilize investment in cross-border energy, strategic minerals, agribusiness, and digital transformation”.
The summit is now more than a proposal; it holds a regional mandate to strengthen value chains and remove barriers to economic cooperation. Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Special Envoy for WAIIS 2026, noted that the approval is a pivotal step toward converting integration commitments into tangible regional projects that can enhance food security, job creation, and energy access.
This decision reinforces Sierra Leone’s role as a central hub for regional dialogue on trade, energy security, and digital development during President Bio’s tenure as ECOWAS Chairman.
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