West Africa’s regional bloc has tipped Nigeria to rank among the world’s five most powerful economies within 50 years, with Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire also forecast to break into the global top 15, in projections presented during the 2026 First Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Abuja in May.
Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, delivered the forecasts before regional lawmakers, drawing on projections from the United Nations (UN) and several leading global universities. He said Nigeria’s rise will depend on deepening trade ties within West Africa rather than leaning on Western markets, arguing that sub-regional commerce, not American or British trade relationships, holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term trajectory.
The projections extend across the bloc. Sylla forecast that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire could rank among the world’s 15 richest nations within 25 years. He went further to suggest that Côte d’Ivoire could surpass France in economic output within 70 years, a bold claim that has already attracted scrutiny given France’s current scale and global standing.
Sylla pointed to intra-regional trade data as early evidence that the vision is achievable. He told lawmakers that trade within the bloc has doubled to 40 percent over the past four years despite political instability, border tensions and currency pressures across parts of the region. “We can move faster, but we are not yet there,” he said.
He acknowledged, however, that ECOWAS institutions are struggling to keep pace with the level of economic cooperation already happening organically between businesses and citizens across member states, signaling that the bloc’s structures risk falling behind the integration they are meant to lead.
The session, held from May 4 to 17 in Abuja, placed regional governance, trade cooperation and long-range economic planning at the centre of discussion as West Africa navigates inflation, slowing global growth and ongoing political transitions in several member countries.
