President Bola Tinubu on Saturday tasked leaders from West Africa on the need to harness the youthful population in the region.
He particularly stressed that for the region to thrive economically, it must take industrialisation, education, and innovation seriously.
He gave the charge while delivering his opening address at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit, WAES, in Abuja.
Tinubu said the region’s vibrant, youthful population represent its greatest asset.
He warned saying, “this demographic promise can quickly become a liability if not matched by investments in education, digital infrastructure, innovation, and productive enterprise”.
Stressing the need for regional cooperation, he cited Nigeria’s investments in skills development, digital connectivity, and youth empowerment.
According to him, “No one country can do this alone. Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together—or they will collapse separately”.
The Nigerian President also solicited efforts to dismantle trade barriers across the subregion.
He expressed grave concern that with intra-regional trade still below 10 per cent, West Africa must “coordinate or collapse” in the race for global economic relevance.
