President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on West African nations to forge stronger economic ties and adopt a unified development agenda or risk “collective collapse” in the face of global competition.

Speaking at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) held Saturday in Abuja, Tinubu stressed the urgent need for regional integration in industrialization, innovation, education, and infrastructure.

“No one country can do this alone,” Tinubu warned.

“Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together or they will collapse separately.”

The president lamented that intra-regional trade remains below 10 percent, describing it as a key barrier to economic advancement in the region. He cautioned that Africa, which had missed previous industrial revolutions, must not repeat history.

 “Let us recognize that Africa was left behind in previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to miss the next one.”

Tinubu advocated for an end to the export of raw materials without value addition, urging African countries to leverage their mineral wealth to create jobs, build technology, and drive local manufacturing.

 “The era of ‘pit to port’ must end. We must turn our mineral wealth into domestic economic value jobs, technology, and manufacturing.”

He also issued a stark warning about the region’s youthful population, noting that the demographic advantage could become a “time bomb” without sufficient investments in education, digital infrastructure, and enterprise development.

“This demographic promise can quickly become a liability if not matched by investments.”

Concluding his address, Tinubu challenged attendees to ensure the summit yields “clear deliverables and actionable outcomes”, calling for a shift from rhetoric to measurable progress that benefits the region’s people.