Eleventh Session of the ERCA Council: Advancing Competition Governance and Consumer Protection across the ECOWAS Region

The ERCA Council convened in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia, from 21 to 24 May 2026, for its Eleventh Ordinary Session, with a clear mandate: to strengthen competition governance, foster fair and contestable markets, and safeguard the interests of consumers across the ECOWAS region.

The session served as a strategic platform to reaffirm the Authority’s unwavering commitment to principled, transparent and evidence-based decision-making, capable of inspiring lasting confidence among economic operators, Member States and citizens of the Community.

A central component of the session was dedicated to the examination of notified mergers and acquisitions falling within the jurisdiction of the Authority. The Council carried out a thorough review of each transaction in strict accordance with the fair market criteria set out in the ECOWAS competition legal framework.

Each decision was guided by the overarching objective of preserving effective competition, preventing market dominance and protecting the welfare of West African citizens, ensuring that approved transactions contribute to economic efficiency, consumer choice and the long-term development of the regional market.