AfCFTA Protocol on Women, Youth to boost inclusive trade across ECOWAS region – Trade Directorate

Sandra Chukwugekwu

The Director at the ECOWAS Commission Trade Directorate, Mr. Christopher Mensah-Yawson, has emphasised that women and youth are central to increasing intra-regional trade and deepening economic integration in West Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at a regional forum, Mensah-Yawson said inclusive trade is no longer optional but essential for achieving sustainable economic growth across the region.

“At the global level, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ensure that women and youth are captured. Indeed, SDG 5 is front and centre on women,” he stated.

He added that the African Union’s Agenda 2063 also embeds youth and women empowerment within its development framework, particularly under its people-centred aspirations.

Within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Mensah-Yawson noted that a dedicated Protocol on Women and Youth has already been adopted to promote equitable participation in continental trade.

“The AfCFTA can be leveraged as a catalyst for inclusive trade. There are key provisions in the agreement that make this possible, including simplified trade regimes, trade facilitation measures and digitalised trade systems,” he explained.

According to him, these measures are designed to reduce cross-border barriers and create access to wider regional and continental markets.

At the regional level, he said the Economic Community of West African States has established specialised agencies to support vulnerable groups, including the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre in Dakar and the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre.

The ECOWAS Trade Directorate, he noted, has been working closely with these institutions to develop policies and implement capacity-building initiatives.

“We recently conducted sensitisation campaigns along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor. We also participated at CSW 69 in New York, where we projected women’s economic empowerment issues from our region,” Mensah-Yawson disclosed.

He further revealed that ECOWAS has developed a Trade and Gender Action Plan to ensure that trade policies reflect gender realities.

Citing regional data, the ECOWAS Trade Director revealed that women account for 74 per cent of informal cross-border traders in West Africa.

“Seventy-four per cent of those operating in informal cross-border trade are women. That is significant,” he said.

Although men tend to engage in higher-value transactions, women conduct a greater number of transactions overall, especially in food commodities such as rice, sugar and beverages — making them critical to food security and economic resilience.

Mensah-Yawson highlighted several programmes aimed at strengthening women and youth participation in trade.

In 2025, ECOWAS conducted digital capacity-building initiatives in Liberia and Sierra Leone to equip rural women with digital trade tools.

The Commission has also partnered with UNDP and ITC to provide export-readiness training and standards compliance support.

“More than 50 women were trained in collaboration with Ecobank to improve their trade effectiveness,” he said.

He further cited achievements under the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOM), including ICT training for SMEs and collaboration with GIZ to enhance women’s access to market tools.

Mensah-Yawson stressed that inclusive trade must remain a deliberate policy priority.

“Women and youth are vital to ensuring that intra-regional trade increases and that our economies become more resilient. We must make deliberate efforts to include them in everything we do,” he concluded.

As ECOWAS advances its Vision 2050 agenda and deepens implementation of AfCFTA commitments, stakeholders say empowering women and youth will be key to translating regional integration policies into tangible economic benefits across West Africa.