In a strategic move to leverage the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a new effort to formalize and regulate cross-border trade by empowering women and youth involved in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
This initiative, unveiled Tuesday during a regional workshop in Abuja, signals a policy shift aimed at integrating West Africa’s “informal” trade sector—the backbone of the region’s commerce—into the broader continental market. Following the ratification of the AfCFTA agreement by all 15 ECOWAS member states, the Commission has now shifted its focus from diplomatic consensus to practical market integration.
The fisheries sector is one of West Africa’s most vital yet uncoordinated industries. According to Christopher Mensah-Yawson, Acting Principal Officer for Trade Facilitation and Development at the ECOWAS Commission, the goal of this plan is to enable local traders to access market opportunities beyond the region. “All our member states have signed the AfCFTA; the core issue now is expanding the market reach of the products we trade,” Mensah-Yawson stated. “We want traders in the fish and aquaculture sectors to benefit from African markets outside of the ECOWAS zone.”
The focus on women and youth is driven not only by a commitment to social justice but also by demographic necessity. Women make up 49 percent of the West African population and dominate post-harvest activities—such as processing, preservation, and small-scale cross-border distribution. However, because most of these activities remain informal, traders are often exposed to harassment, price instability, and a lack of financial protection.
A central component of this effort is a pilot project led by ‘TradeMark Africa,’ which positions Nigeria as a primary West African hub. This program aims to create over 280,000 jobs for women and youth across the continent, with more than half of those expected to be generated within West Africa. Anataria Uwamariya, Director of Trade Competitiveness at TradeMark Africa, noted that the organization is currently studying fish trade routes—including products entering Nigeria and those exported to neighboring countries—to help eliminate barriers in the trading process.
Despite the high hopes for AfCFTA, senior government officials acknowledge that significant challenges remain. Fatima Mahmood, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, outlined the issues hampering regional trade.
“A lack of finance, infrastructure deficits, market barriers, post-harvest losses, and weak formal trade linkages are the primary challenges,” Mahmood stated. To address these issues, the Ministry called for the harmonization of trade standards and the implementation of digital trade tools. Without a robust and integrated sanitary and quality control system, West African fish products will struggle to compete in distant markets like East or North Africa.
The process of legalizing and formalizing the trade system includes providing small-scale entrepreneurs with extensive training on AfCFTA trade rules and digital payment systems. By transitioning women and youth from informal trade to established commercial channels, ECOWAS aims to strengthen household food security and build a more resilient regional economy. For the thousands of women currently moving processed fish across West African borders, the promise of AfCFTA is shifting from high-level policy to a tangible, life-changing reality.
