Dr Emmanuel Daudu
BANJUL – As part of strategic efforts to deepen economic integration and ensure fair market practices across West Africa, the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) is set to host its Inaugural Annual Conference in Banjul, The Gambia, from September 15 to 17, 2026
The high-level regional summit, which comes under the theme “Competition Policy as a Pillar of Regional Economic Integration,” will assemble global legal luminaries, heads of antitrust agencies, and sub-regional policymakers to chart a new course for cross-border enforcement.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Executive Director of ERCA, Dr. Simeon Konan Koffi, emphasized that robust regulatory collaboration is non-negotiable for sub-regional growth, noting that “fair markets don’t stop at borders.” Dr. Koffi is scheduled to officially open the deliberations in Plenary 1, focusing on framework designs to checkmate unfair trade practices across national frontiers.
The flagship opening panel will feature world-renowned antitrust authority and Professor Emerita at the New York University School of Law, Prof. Eleanor Fox. She will lead discussions alongside the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Dehpue Zou, and The Gambian Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Hon. Mod K. Ceesay.
With exactly six days left until the historic opening ceremony, stakeholders across the ECOWAS bloc have described the conference as a critical intervention that will redefine commerce, consumer protection, and investment protections within West Africa.
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