ECOWAS: E-commerce Can Raise West African Trade to 35%, Boost Small Businesses

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is looking to digital commerce to increase intra-regional trade from its historically low level of below 15 per cent to between 30 and 35 per cent, while expanding market access for women, young people, persons with disabilities and small businesses.

The Director, Directorate of Trade, Kolawole Sofola made this revelation on Tuesday, during the meeting of the E-Commerce Community Forum organized by ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, said e-commerce could dismantle longstanding barriers to trade by enabling entrepreneurs to sell goods across borders without the cost of renting physical shops or maintaining conventional business premises.

He said the meeting was called for the implementation of the region’s e-commerce strategy and identifying additional interventions to make digital trade more inclusive.

The meeting brought together economic stakeholders to assess progress in implementing the strategy and develop recommendations to expand participation in the digital economy, particularly among groups that face barriers to accessing markets.

“We believe e-commerce will open up many doors. It will certainly bring the barriers to trade down,” Sofola said.

According to the official, digital platforms could enable entrepreneurs to operate from their homes, reach customers beyond their immediate communities and access markets across the region without incurring the substantial costs associated with conventional retail businesses.

The approach is expected to create opportunities for micro and small enterprises, which often struggle to compete with larger businesses because of limited capital, inadequate infrastructure and restricted access to customers.

By connecting buyers and sellers through digital platforms, e-commerce could also improve access to information about products, facilitate business connections and enable traders to identify commercial opportunities beyond their national borders.

Sofola, however, acknowledged that the benefits of digital commerce would remain limited unless governments and regional institutions addressed the infrastructure and affordability challenges preventing many people from participating.

Access to reliable internet services and the cost of digital facilities remain significant obstacles, particularly for entrepreneurs and communities in rural areas.

He said regional programmes aimed at improving broadband connectivity and extending internet access would be important to ensuring that e-commerce reached ordinary citizens rather than remaining the preserve of businesses and individuals with better digital resources.

The emphasis on inclusivity is also intended to ensure that women, young people and persons with disabilities can benefit from the opportunities offered by digital trade.

For these groups, online platforms could provide alternative routes into business by reducing the need for expensive commercial premises and making it easier to connect with customers and suppliers.

He noted that the stakeholders’ meeting would examine the progress made under the existing e-commerce strategy, identify gaps in implementation and generate further recommendations for improving participation.

Beyond expanding individual businesses, ECOWAS sees digital commerce as a potential instrument for strengthening regional economic integration by enabling traders to connect more easily across national boundaries.

He also noted that intra-regional trade had historically remained below 15 per cent, although the figure did not fully reflect informal cross-border transactions, which account for a significant share of commercial activity in West Africa.

He expressed optimism that e-commerce could help improve the situation by connecting traders with buyers across the region, making product information more readily available and opening up new channels for commercial transactions.

The region’s longer-term ambition, the official said, was to increase intra-regional trade to between 30 and 35 per cent in the coming years, with targets for 2035 and 2050 expected to guide its broader development objectives.

Sofola also stressed the need to assess the progress made over the past 50 years of regional development while identifying additional measures needed to deepen economic cooperation.

However, achieving the proposed trade expansion will require more than the adoption of digital platforms. Reliable internet connectivity, affordable access, effective implementation of regional policies and the capacity of small businesses to use digital tools will be critical to translating the strategy into measurable economic gains.

The ongoing review is therefore expected to help determine how regional interventions can make e-commerce more accessible, strengthen commercial links among member states and enable a broader section of West African society to participate in the regional economy.

ECOWAS: E-commerce Can Raise West African Trade to 35%, Boost Small Businesses

37 Miners Suffocated in NSCDC Custody, Panel Recommends N1.4bn Compensation

By: Michael Mike

A Federal Government investigative panel has found that 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State died from asphyxiation, recommending N1.4 billion in compensation for affected families and survivors.

The panel also recommended the summary dismissal of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and other officers found to have been directly involved in the incident, describing the deaths as avoidable and calling for measures to prevent a recurrence.

The chairman of the 10-member independent investigative committee, Jonathan Kure, a retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, disclosed the findings on Tuesday while presenting the panel’s report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja.

The recommendations followed investigations into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died on September 17, 2026, while being detained by the NSCDC in Minna, the Niger State capital.

The victims were among dozens of people arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state.

According to reports on the panel’s findings, the committee recommended N1.4 billion in compensation for the families of 33 deceased victims and 44 survivors affected by the incident.

The panel also called for the dismissal of the state commandant and officers whose involvement in the arrests, detention and circumstances surrounding the deaths was established.

Fourteen of the deceased were reportedly minors, raising further concerns about the treatment of young people detained during the operation.

The Federal Government constituted the independent committee following public outrage over the deaths and President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive, transparent and unhindered investigation.

The committee was mandated to establish the circumstances surrounding the arrests and detention, determine the cause of death, identify possible negligence or misconduct and recommend appropriate sanctions and compensation.

The incident had earlier triggered protests in Minna, with residents and relatives of the deceased demanding answers over how so many detainees could die while in government custody.

Initial accounts from the authorities suggested a possible disease outbreak, while survivors subsequently described overcrowded and poorly ventilated detention conditions.

Some survivors also alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed into the cell before detainees began experiencing breathing difficulties and other unusual symptoms.

Those accounts raised questions about the conditions in which the suspects were held and whether security personnel responded adequately to their distress.

The allegations, however, required independent verification, including forensic examinations, before responsibility for the deaths could be conclusively established.

In September, the Minister of Interior announced the suspension of the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other officers pending the outcome of the investigation.

The committee subsequently inspected the detention facility, visited relevant locations, conducted autopsies and obtained statements from NSCDC personnel, survivors, relatives of the deceased and other witnesses.

It also reviewed documentary and forensic evidence as part of efforts to reconstruct the events leading to the deaths.

Before the submission of its final report, the panel had identified institutional weaknesses, alleged overzealousness among personnel and inadequate training as issues requiring attention.

The committee had sought additional time to complete its work, citing the volume of evidence and the need to obtain and review medical and forensic reports while allowing persons implicated in the incident to respond.

The latest findings and recommendations now place the responsibility on the relevant authorities to determine and implement appropriate disciplinary measures, address compensation for affected families and survivors, and strengthen safeguards against deaths in custody.

Receiving the report, Tunji-Ojo pledged that the Federal Government would implement the committee’s recommendations to ensure justice for the victims and prevent a recurrence.

The minister also directed the NSCDC leadership to suspend officers allegedly involved in cleaning the detention facility in an attempt to destroy evidence, according to reports on the presentation of the panel’s findings.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths have renewed concerns about accountability within Nigeria’s security agencies and the protection of the rights of people held in detention.

The implementation of the panel’s recommendations, particularly the proposed compensation, disciplinary sanctions and institutional reforms, will be a key test of the government’s commitment to accountability in the case.

African Centre Demands Probe into Killing of Katsina Cleric

By: Michael Mike

The African Centre for Security, Governance and Development has called for an impartial investigation into the killing of Islamic preacher, Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka, and his associate in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, warning that failure to bring the perpetrators to justice could heighten public fear and undermine confidence in security agencies.

The Centre, in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the killings, which reportedly occurred on Monday, October 26, and urged security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those responsible and ensure their prosecution.

It specifically called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Katsina State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the attack.

The organisation described the killing as an unlawful act of violence, expressing condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Katsina State.

It warned that attacks on religious leaders could threaten peaceful coexistence and deepen public anxiety, particularly if investigations failed to produce credible answers.

The Centre, however, cautioned against speculation about the identities of the perpetrators or their motives, insisting that conclusions must be based on credible evidence and established through due process.

It cited the killings of prominent Islamic scholars, including Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam in Kano in April 2007, Sheikh Umar Hamza Dan-Maishiyya in Sokoto in July 2007 and Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria in Kaduna State in February 2014, as reminders of the need to protect religious leaders and ensure accountability for violent crimes.

Against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 general elections, the organisation urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, threat assessments, preventive policing and community engagement to identify emerging security risks and forestall further attacks.

It also called on religious leaders, political actors, civil society organisations and members of the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and reject any attempt at retaliation.

The Centre advocated stronger community-based early warning systems and closer cooperation between security agencies and local communities, arguing that timely information sharing could help prevent attacks and improve responses to emerging threats.

It reiterated that justice must be pursued through lawful processes that respect human rights and due process, urging political, religious and community leaders to promote dialogue, accountability and peaceful coexistence.

African Centre Demands Probe into Killing of Katsina Cleric