West Africa industrial summit to focus on turning trade gains into manufacturing growth

WEST Africa’s growing intra-African trade and renewed push for industrial expansion will take centre stage at the West Africa Industrialisation, Manufacturing & Trade Summit and Exhibition (West Africa IMT 2026), scheduled for March 3 to 5 in Lagos.

The summit comes amid signs that regional trade integration is beginning to reshape the sub-region’s industrial outlook. Recent data from the Nigeria Customs Service shows that Nigeria’s exports to African markets rose by 14 per cent to N4.82 trillion, with more than 60 per cent destined for West Africa. In Ghana, early gains from the government’s 24-hour economy policy have been recorded in pilot industrial zones, including the Tema light-manufacturing belt, where output and night-shift employment have increased.

Organisers say these developments underscore both the opportunities and the pressure facing West Africa to convert rising trade flows into sustained industrial capacity, jobs and investment. West Africa IMT 2026, endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and organised by dmg Nigeria events, is positioned as a platform to address how policy alignment can translate into tangible manufacturing growth.

Speaking on the significance of the event, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, said industrialisation remained central to Nigeria’s economic future and regional prosperity.

“Industrial growth is not just an economic imperative; it is the foundation for job creation, skills development and sustainable prosperity,” he said, adding that the summit aligns with Nigeria’s industrial agenda and the broader objective of strengthening regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The three-day gathering is expected to draw policymakers, manufacturers, investors and infrastructure providers from across West Africa and beyond.

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Discussions will focus on expanding industrial capacity, improving trade facilitation, delivering critical infrastructure and mobilising long-term financing needed to support value-added production.

According to the portfolio director for Africa at dmg Events, Wemimo Oyelana, the summit is designed to prioritise execution over rhetoric. “This is not a forum for conversations without consequence,” she said. “The goal is to align policy, private sector capability and capital in ways that deliver real industrial capacity, stronger value chains and measurable economic impact for West Africa.”

As West African countries seek to shift away from dependence on raw material exports, challenges such as infrastructure gaps, logistics bottlenecks, evolving tariff regimes and global competition for manufacturing investment remain significant. Organisers say West Africa IMT 2026 aims to confront these issues by bringing decision-makers together around practical, project-focused solutions.

With regional trade gaining momentum and AfCFTA implementation gathering pace, the summit is expected to test how far West Africa can move from policy ambition to industrial delivery at a time many see as pivotal for the region’s economic transformation.