TOWARDS FAIR COMPETITION IN WEST AFRICA: THE COMPETITION CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (CCC) from MEETS IN ABUJA

The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) is organising the 12th Meeting of the Competition Consultative Committee (CCC) from 30 March to 1 April 2026 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. This meeting will bring together representatives of ECOWAS Member States, including focal points, as well as ERCA staff. This three (3)-day session follows up on the work of the 11th meeting, held in Cotonou (Benin) in September 2025, and aims to achieve decisive milestones in strengthening the regional competition and consumer protection framework.

Participants will review and validate the draft Regional Regulation and the Procedures Manual on Consumer Protection. These instruments, developed during a technical meeting held in Dakar from 9 to 13 February 2026, are designed to provide ECOWAS with a robust, coherent and fully operational legal and procedural framework, in line with the requirements of the Community Directive on this matter. During this meeting, participants will review and validate the draft Regional Regulation and the Procedures Manual on Consumer Protection. The meeting will also serve to strengthen regional cooperation, improve the management of cross-border cases and ensure fairer and safer markets within the ECOWAS area. Discussions will also focus on the study of the cement sector in West Africa, aimed at detecting and addressing anti-competitive practices.

In his opening remarks, the Director of ERCA, Dr Koffi Siméon, commended the Chairperson of the CCC and all members for their sustained commitment and technical contributions, which continue to shape a credible and effective regional competition and consumer protection framework. He further highlighted the crucial role of the Competition Advisory Committee, which constitutes a fundamental pillar of ECOWAS’s competition and consumer protection architecture. “The recent activities of ERCA demonstrate the significant impact of the CCC, which has made a decisive contribution to the development of technically robust regional competition and consumer protection rules, aligned with national realities and consistent with ECOWAS integration objectives; the development of the ECOWAS Competition Information System (ECIS); the implementation of sectoral market studies; and the strengthening of technical collaboration among experts,” he added.

The Director of Domestic Trade and Competition of the Republic of Togo, Mr ATEKPE Makiliwe, representing the Chairperson of the Competition Advisory Committee (CCC), Dr ABE Talime, underscored the important stakes of competition policy by recalling that his country, Togo, has adopted new competition legislation thanks to the work of the CCC. He concluded by emphasising the importance of collaboration among CCC Member States.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, represented by the Executive Commissioner for Operations, Mr Louis Odion, commended all participants for their commitment and encouraged ERCA to continue its efforts to promote the well-being of West African consumers and to create a fair business environment. “This review of regulatory and procedural manuals reflects our commitment to combating fraudulent practices and ensuring fair trade, sustainable development and a sound business environment for our region, for the benefit of consumers.”