The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has launched a high-level training and capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening the legal framework for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) within the region.
Organised through its Trade and Legal Affairs Directorates, the event kicked off on June 30, 2025, in Banjul, The Gambia. The initiative brings together legal advisers from various Community institutions, equipping them with the necessary expertise to align ECOWAS legal instruments with the AfCFTA’s regulatory provisions and effectively guide its implementation at both regional and national levels.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the ECOWAS Director of Trade, Mr. Kolawole Sofola, highlighted the pivotal role legal professionals play in deepening regional integration and ensuring the smooth adoption of continental trade reforms.
The workshop was formally declared open by the Honourable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, who reaffirmed the Court’s unwavering commitment to facilitating this integration process through its judicial responsibilities.
This initiative marks another significant step in ECOWAS’s drive to enhance regional trade governance, promote legal harmonisation, and boost West Africa’s readiness for full participation in the AfCFTA.
