ERCA HOLDS STRATEGIC STAFF RETREAT TO REVIEW ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHART FUTURE PRIORITIES AHEAD OF INAUGURAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Banjul, The Gambia — The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) convened a strategic staff retreat from 22nd to 26th June 2026, to review its achievements over the 2022–2026 period, assess institutional performance, and define priorities for the successful delivery of its regional mandate. The retreat, chaired by the Executive Director, comes at a critical juncture as the current management tenure concludes in July 2026 and preparations intensify for ERCA’s Inaugural Annual Conference to be held in Banjul, The Gambia, in September 2026.

The Executive Director welcomed the Agency’s expansion from seven staff members in the previous year to thirteen substantive staff, supported by six administrative personnel and two young professionals, describing this growth as a clear indication of ERCA’s expanding mandate and consolidating institutional footprint. He acknowledged that a number of critical positions remain vacant and reaffirmed the commitment to expedite ongoing recruitment processes in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission, while continuing to invest in staff development, language training, and the strengthening of technical and professional capacities across the institution.

On enforcement, ERCA reaffirmed its commitment to the effective implementation of the Community Competition Rules, with particular focus on the abuse of dominant market positions and cartel conduct, and confirmed that cartel-related interventions are envisaged for 2027. The Post-Transaction Monitoring Report reviewed ten merger and acquisition decisions approved between August 2025 and February 2026, of which five have been identified for immediate follow-up. Planned market studies in the cocoa sectors of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, together with an upcoming study on trade in services in West Africa in collaboration with GIZ, will further deepen evidence-based enforcement. The Executive Director also welcomed the adoption of the ECOWAS Consumer Protection Regulation by the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade.

A central outcome of the retreat was the finalisation of preparations for ERCA’s Inaugural Annual Conference, scheduled to take place in Banjul under the theme “Competition Policy and Market Integration in ECOWAS: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities.” This three-day flagship event will bring together policymakers, national competition authorities, regional economic communities, regulators, development partners, academia, the judiciary, private sector representatives, legal practitioners, and consumer organisations to discuss regional economic integration, cross-border enforcement cooperation, harmonisation of competition frameworks, emerging challenges in digital markets, and sectoral competition in telecommunications, energy, transport, agribusiness, and health.

In his closing remarks, the Executive Director thanked staff for their active participation and constructive engagement, urging all departments to translate the retreat’s action points into concrete deliverables. He reaffirmed teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and innovation as the guiding principles of ERCA’s next phase.