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The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) convened a technical meeting in Dakar from 9 to 13 February 2026 to review the draft Regional Regulation and Manual of Procedures on consumer protection within the ECOWAS.
The meeting was held in line with ERCA’s mandate to promote consumer welfare and safeguard the economic interests of consumers, against the backdrop of growing cross-border trade across the region.
The main objective was to examine the draft Regulation and Procedures Manual in order to provide ECOWAS with robust, coherent and fully operational legal and procedural instruments on consumer protection, consistent with the requirements of the relevant Community Directive.
Specifically, participants:
- carried out a comprehensive review of the draft texts;
- assessed their alignment with ERCA’s mandate, the regional consumer protection framework and ECOWAS competition rules;
- incorporated technical and legal input from Member State experts;
- enhanced the clarity, coherence and practical applicability of the provisions;
- agreed on a roadmap for the institutional validation and adoption of the instruments.
The working group brought together consumer protection experts from ECOWAS Member States alongside ERCA officials.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of ERCA, Dr. Siméon K. Koffi, highlighted that consumer protection represents the second pillar of ERCA’s mandate and that the preparation of these instruments marks a key step towards the effective implementation of Community rules in this field.
The Rapporteur of the CCC, Mr. Lawrence Bassie, welcomed the initiative, noting that it comes at a crucial time given the rapid evolution of markets, particularly digital markets, which requires clear rules and efficient procedures to meet consumers’ expectations.
The President of the Senegalese Consumers’ Association, Mr. Momar Ndao, representing the host country, underscored the importance of the initiative in strengthening regional cooperation on consumer protection.
The meeting resulted in a revised draft Regulation aligned with the framework established by the ECOWAS Directive.
The instrument is expected to:
- reinforce institutional coherence;
- strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms;
- improve the management of cross-border consumer protection cases.
Overall, the discussions marked significant progress and represent an important milestone towards a harmonised regional framework that promotes fairer, more transparent and safer markets for citizens across the ECOWAS region