By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has renewed its commitment to transforming West Africa into a competitive automotive manufacturing hub, setting a target of producing 50,000 locally assembled vehicles annually by 2028, as regional leaders and industry stakeholders called for stronger policy implementation, regulatory harmonisation and increased investment to unlock the sector’s potential.
The renewed commitment came at the ECOWAS Regional Automotive Industry Development Forum, held in Abuja from Tuesday, 4 August, to Thursday,6 August, 2026 where policymakers, manufacturers, development partners and financial institutions reviewed progress under the ECOWAS regional automotive policy framework and mapped out strategies to accelerate its implementation, according to a statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of the commission.
Although the regional policy framework was adopted more than a decade ago, ECOWAS said implementation has remained uneven across member states.
According to the commission, West Africa currently has seven vehicle assembly plants operating at the Semi-Knocked Down level, with a combined installed production capacity of more than 100,000 vehicles annually.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr Kalilou Sylla, said the automotive industry has the potential to drive industrialisation beyond vehicle assembly, by stimulating component manufacturing, strengthening regional value chains, promoting innovation and creating skilled employment opportunities.
He stressed that achieving these objectives would require a predictable and coherent policy environment capable of attracting long-term private sector investment.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to regional cooperation, describing the forum as evidence of West Africa’s shared determination to build an integrated and self-sustaining automotive industry.
As part of Nigeria’s contribution, the minister announced that the country’s automotive quality infrastructure, including three National Automotive Testing Laboratories in Enugu, Lagos and Zaria, along with 22 Mechatronics Skills Training Centres, would be opened to all ECOWAS member states as regional centres of excellence for vehicle testing, homologation and capacity building.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, urged ECOWAS governments to provide policy certainty and consistent implementation, noting that investor confidence depends on stable regulations and genuine regional integration.
The Forum ended with member states, industry leaders and development partners reaffirming their commitment to harmonising regulations, strengthening regional production networks and mobilising strategic investments to achieve the ECOWAS target.
