By Sallieu S Kanu
Sierra Leone – April 28, 2026: President Julius Maada Bio, in his capacity as Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, has officially launched the preparatory process for the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS 2026) in Freetown.
The three‑day convening, hosted by the Government of Sierra Leone, brings together First Ladies, Ministers, regional institutions, and development partners to lay the policy and investment foundations for deeper West African economic integration.
Regional Vision
Speaking at the opening, President Bio emphasized the need for collective action across borders.
“Our region’s prospects do not stop at any one border,” he said. “The corridors that move our minerals, the grids that carry our energy, the systems that connect our markets—these are West African in scope, and they demand a West African response. Sierra Leone is honoured to host this Summit. But what we begin today belongs to the region. We carry it forward together.”
The Summit aims to re‑energise economic cooperation and mobilise investment across West Africa, aligning political leadership, policy reform, and investment pipelines around a common regional agenda.
The opening day featured a High‑Level Policy Dialogue on Clean Cooking, Gender Equality, and Child Protection, led by First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, who also serves as President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
“West Africa cannot industrialise around its women, its children, and its youth—it must industrialise with them,” she said, stressing that clean cooking, child protection, and women’s empowerment are central to the investment agenda.
The Dialogue also launched the ECOWAS LPG Programme, positioning Mano River Union countries as early adopters of regional LPG market harmonisation, and introduced the Compact Service Delivery Centre (CSDC) model to coordinate energy, education, gender, health, water, and finance.
Expert and Ministerial Engagement
From April 29–30, the convening transitions to the Expert Group Meeting (EGM) and Ministerial Conference at the Bintumani Conference Centre. Delegates will deliberate across four pillars:
- Energy Trade and Industrialisation
- Strategic Minerals and Natural Resource Development
- Agribusiness and Food Security
- Digital Transformation and Connectivity
The meetings will culminate in the adoption of the Freetown Communiqué, which will form the technical and political foundation for the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit scheduled for October 2026.
Delivery Platform for Integration
Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI‑CREF) and CEO of WAIIS 2026, described the Summit as a “delivery platform” for an integrated West African economy.
“WAIIS is not a conference. It is a delivery platform for an integrated West African economy—one that turns commitments into bankable projects and pipelines into industries,” he said.
The institutional architecture of WAIIS 2026 places President Bio as ECOWAS Chair, the Government of Sierra Leone as host, the Office of the First Lady as champion of the human development agenda, and PI‑CREF alongside AfCEN as co‑Executive Secretariat.
The Heads of State Summit will be convened in Freetown in November 2026, building on the technical foundations laid this week and the ongoing work of the Technical Working Groups.