President Julius Maada Bio has endorsed the Freetown Communiqué, reaffirming his commitment to advancing regional integration and investment-led growth across West Africa, following a high-level briefing at State House on preparations for the West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS 2026).

According to a State House statement, President Bio, who currently serves as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, received the communiqué from a delegation of expert planners, ministers, and regional coordinators led by Special Envoy for the Summit, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella.

The delegation briefed the President on months of technical work that culminated in an Expert Group Meeting and Ministerial Conference recently held in Freetown.

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These engagements produced the Freetown Communiqué, described as a strategic outcomes document containing practical recommendations, policy reforms, and priority investment pipelines to be considered at the main summit later this year.

Presenting the document on behalf of the team, Guinea’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr. Biben, said the process brought together more than 100 experts, ministers, senior government officials, development institutions, and private sector actors from across the sub-region over a three-and-a-half-month period.

The communiqué is structured around four key pillars identified as drivers of regional transformation: energy trade, strategic minerals, agribusiness, and digital transformation.

The delegation said these sectors are expected to strengthen economic cooperation, improve energy security, expand market access, accelerate food systems development, and deepen digital connectivity across West Africa.

Officials from The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone participated in the consultations, with regional representatives expressing support for the initiative. The Minister of Energy and Minerals of The Gambia also voiced backing for the summit’s objectives during the briefing.

A central message from the delegation was the need for West Africa to move “beyond rhetoric toward implementation-driven, business-led regional integration,” emphasizing that the private sector must serve as the main engine of growth, supported by enabling policies and cross-border investment partnerships.

They also highlighted the importance of human capital development, noting that Africa’s youthful population could drive growth if matched by sustained investments in education, innovation, and skills development.

In his response, President Bio commended the planning team for what he described as “visionary and results-oriented work,” and reiterated his commitment to strengthening economic cooperation within ECOWAS.

“The future of ECOWAS lies in stronger connectivity, increased intra-regional trade, modern infrastructure, and policies that create jobs and opportunities for citizens, especially young people and women,” the President said, according to the State House statement.

The upcoming WAIIS 2026 Summit is expected to build on the communiqué’s recommendations, with organizers aiming to secure concrete investment deals, strategic partnerships, and a coordinated economic roadmap for the region.

The State House noted that the summit is being designed as a deal-focused platform rather than a ceremonial gathering, bringing together Heads of State, investors, development finance institutions, private sector leaders, and academia to drive actionable outcomes for shared prosperity in West Africa.