Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has called for an urgent transition from what he described as “paper integration” to “functional integration” in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) within the ECOWAS sub-region.
Kalu made the call on Monday in Abuja during a parliamentary seminar titled “Deepening Regional Integration Through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Intra-Community Trade Within ECOWAS.”
Despite Africa’s growing trade momentum, Kalu expressed concern that West Africa is lagging behind its potential.
He noted that while intra-African trade climbed to $220.3 billion, representing 16 per cent in 2025, intra-ECOWAS trade has remained stagnant at 11.5 per cent, far below expectations for a region with a combined $3.4 trillion market size.
According to him, logistical and administrative bottlenecks continue to undermine progress, limiting the ability of businesses to fully benefit from the trade pact.
“In today’s geopolitical climate, AfCFTA is no longer just a trade agreement; it has become the strategic engine that must power Africa’s industrial resilience and survival,” Kalu said.
He warned that as global supply chains become increasingly fragmented, Africa must strengthen internal trade ties to ensure economic sustainability.
African Continental Free Trade Area has been positioned as a transformative framework to boost industrialisation and intra-African commerce.
However, Kalu argued that ECOWAS must move beyond diplomatic commitments to concrete, measurable outcomes.
Economic Community of West African States, he noted, cannot afford to remain at the level of declarations while trade barriers persist across member states.
“We are talking about a $3.4 trillion market potential, yet we still struggle to move a truck from Lagos to Abidjan,” he said, underscoring the gap between ambition and execution.
Kalu described the Abidjan–Lagos corridor as the backbone of the regional economy but lamented that it remains an “unfinished promise.”
He stressed that while infrastructure deficits are significant, administrative inefficiencies pose even greater challenges, including border delays, customs bottlenecks, and inconsistent regulatory enforcement.
To bridge the disconnect between policy frameworks and on-the-ground realities, Kalu urged leaders to prioritise enforceable reforms, modernised border systems, and coordinated regional infrastructure development.
On monetary integration, Kalu called for pragmatism in discussions around the long-proposed single regional currency, the Eco.
Eco has been under consideration for decades as part of ECOWAS’ integration agenda.
However, the Deputy Speaker argued that full macroeconomic convergence among member states appears increasingly unrealistic under current economic conditions.
“It is time for a reality check. Total macroeconomic convergence is a 20th-century mirage”, he said.
Instead, he advocated prioritising the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), describing it as a practical and immediate solution to regional payment challenges.
According to him, PAPSS enables instant settlement in local currencies without requiring countries to surrender monetary sovereignty.
He added that the system could help eliminate Africa’s heavy reliance on the dollar, which he said costs the continent an estimated $5 billion annually in transaction fees.
“Why wait in perpetuity for a shared banknote when we can solve the payment problem today with a digital switch?” Kalu asked.
The Deputy Speaker also urged greater focus on implementation tools such as the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative, which aims to facilitate early trading among participating countries under the AfCFTA framework.
By strengthening practical mechanisms like PAPSS and the Guided Trade Initiative, Kalu said the benefits of AfCFTA could reach local manufacturers, agro-processors, and small-scale traders across West Africa.
He cited examples including manufacturers in Aba, agro-processors in Côte d’Ivoire, and small-scale traders in The Gambia, stressing that regional integration must translate into tangible economic opportunities for businesses and citizens.
Kalu noted that the time for extended debates has passed, urging ECOWAS leaders to focus on systems that already exist and can deliver immediate impact.
“Let us stop debating whose face goes on a currency that does not exist and start connecting central banks to a system that already works,” he said.
