The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) opened the 13th meeting of the Competition Consultative Committee (CCC) today in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, bringing together competition and consumer protection experts from ECOWAS Member States for three days of technical work on the regional competition agenda. Running from 2 to 4 November 2026, the meeting is convened in accordance with the mandate of the Committee, which meets twice a year to review draft policies, rules, guidelines and other instruments before their submission to ERCA’s decision-making bodies.
A strategically important step in the regional integration process, the 13th CCC meeting builds on ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation among Member States for the effective implementation of competition rules and consumer protection, promote regional synergies in the fight against anti-competitive practices, deepen economic integration through harmonised legal and institutional frameworks, and enhance institutional capacities, improve regulatory mechanisms and safeguard consumer welfare.
The meeting will also aim to consolidate ERCA’s role as a modern, knowledge-based regulator, by fostering collaboration, building technical expertise and ensuring that regional competition and consumer protection frameworks remain responsive to evolving market realities.
Over the three days, delegates will examine and validate a proposed amendment to Regulation C/REG.23/12/21 and the Declaration of the Inaugural Conference; consider the proposed establishment of an OECD centre in West Africa; discuss ECOWAS competition policy and law reform; and review ERCA’s annual report. The second day will be devoted to country-by-country updates on the implementation of competition and consumer protection laws, before the closing session adopts the meeting report.
Opening the ceremony, Dr. Simeon K. Koffi, Executive Director of ERCA, announced that training seminars will be launched by ECOWAS and UEMOA under the Programme to Support Competition and Consumer Product Safety in Sub-Saharan Africa (PACoSPro), in order to strengthen the capacities of competition actors across the region. He expressed his sincere thanks to the members of the CCC for their commitment, and to the Guinean authorities for hosting the meeting.
Dr. Talime Abe, Chairperson of the CCC, stressed the need for members to review and take ownership of the Declaration of the Inaugural Conference, which is submitted to the Committee for validation.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Trade, Industry and SMEs of the Republic of Guinea, Mr Bamba Oliano, Secretary General of Industry and Trade, underlined that national institutions must have the resources they need to enforce competition rules. “Sharing experience is therefore essential,” he added, commending the regional approach taken by ERCA.
The Competition Consultative Committee is an essential technical organ, bringing together experts from Member States to examine questions relating to the application of competition rules and to harmonise national legal frameworks. Its work feeds directly into the decisions of ERCA’s governing bodies and into the consolidation of a single, predictable and transparent market space for businesses and consumers across the Community.The 13th CCC meeting closes on 4 November 2026.
