Yemisi Izuora
Ecobank Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cross-border trade and accelerating Africa’s economic integration following the successful hosting of its Customer Forum in Lagos.
Held under the theme “Strengthening Regional Integration for Economic Transformation,” the high-level forum convened policymakers, economic experts, industry leaders, and business stakeholders to explore practical strategies for deepening intra-African trade and unlocking new value across the continent.
In his welcome address, Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, explained that the forum was designed to foster meaningful dialogue on how Nigeria and the wider African region can better harness emerging opportunities in regional trade.
He reaffirmed Ecobank’s commitment to collaborating closely with regulators, development partners, and the private sector to drive sustainable economic transformation through improved trade connectivity and enhanced regional competitiveness.
“This forum was designed to interrogate practical pathways for accelerating trade and deepening Nigeria’s integration within the continent. At Ecobank, we are keen to share insights and demonstrate how our pan-African platform can better support businesses trading across Africa and beyond,” Mr. Lawal stated.
He highlighted Ecobank’s unique positioning as a pan-African banking group operating in 32 African countries, offering seamless digital platforms, integrated payment solutions, and tailored financing structures that enable businesses to scale regionally and participate more competitively in cross-border value chains.
Also speaking, Olumide Adebayo, Regional Treasurer, Ecobank Nigeria, noted that the forum provided stakeholders with an opportunity to assess key macroeconomic dynamics shaping Nigeria’s outlook, particularly as the country approaches a pre-election period. While acknowledging progress in ongoing economic reforms, he observed that some uncertainties persist, as businesses and investors often adopt a cautious stance ahead of election cycles.
Delivering the keynote address, Yemi Kale, Group Chief Economist and Managing Director, Research and Trade Intelligence at Afreximbank, underscored the critical link between the ongoing recapitalisation of Nigerian banks and the continent’s broader trade ambitions.
“Recapitalisation of the banks is essential. Banks cannot effectively support business expansion, industrial growth, or machinery imports without sufficient capital. Strengthening capital buffers is fundamental to deepening intra-African trade,” he noted.
Kale further explained that a stronger capital base across the banking sector would expand lending capacity, enhance support for SMEs, stimulate export-oriented production, and position Nigerian businesses to integrate more competitively into regional value chains.
Representing the Trade and Exchange Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tiku Allu of the Import and Trade Relations Office emphasized that Africa’s greatest potential lies in deeper regional collaboration and stronger backward integration.
“Africa’s greatest opportunity lies in deepening collaboration across borders and strengthening backward integration within the continent. Financial institutions must be deliberate in structuring solutions that promote regional production and value addition,” he said.
The second edition of the Ecobank Customer Forum examined critical issues shaping Nigeria’s and Africa’s 2026 economic outlook, with particular focus on trade flows, financial markets, foreign exchange liquidity, and regional integration, especially as the African Continental Free Trade Area enters a strategic phase of implementation.