Image: Forbes Johnston / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority's first annual conference in Bijilo drew nearly 300 participants from 12 member states and closed with a declaration on fair competition and market integration.
The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) held its first annual conference from 17 to 21 September 2026 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, The Gambia, the Liberian Observer reported on 21 September. Nearly 300 participants from 12 ECOWAS member states attended, including national competition authorities, sector regulators, policymakers, businesses, academics, judges and international partners.
What was said
Dehpue Zuo, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, spoke on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission. He said that competition is “an integral part of regional economic integration”. ERCA Executive Director Dr Simeon Koffi presented a conference declaration setting out outcomes and commitments. The Gambia’s Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Mod K. Ceesay, said regional integration must be accompanied by policies that support fair competition. The Observer’s report did not set out the contents of the declaration in detail.
Background
ERCA, which is based in Banjul, is the ECOWAS institution responsible for enforcing the regional competition rules on anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance and mergers with a cross-border dimension within the Community. It works alongside national authorities, several of which in West Africa are relatively new or still building enforcement capacity. The conference focused on promoting fair competition, deeper market integration, investor confidence, consumer choice and innovation.
Why it matters
The regional competition regime has so far attracted less attention from dealmakers than national merger control in the larger ECOWAS economies. An annual conference that brings together national authorities, judges and businesses indicates that ERCA is seeking a higher profile and closer coordination with member state regulators. For companies active in several ECOWAS markets, that increases the importance of assessing whether a transaction or commercial practice has a regional dimension that could fall within ERCA’s remit, in addition to national filing requirements.
Businesses in The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where national competition enforcement is less established, may find that ERCA and national authorities work more closely on cross-border conduct such as distribution restrictions and pricing arrangements. Counsel should monitor publication of the conference declaration and any follow-up guidance, since commitments on cooperation, information sharing or merger notification practice would affect deal timetables and compliance planning across the region.
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