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The document concludes that while ECOWAS has made progress, its current path is insufficient to address structural challenges such as insecurity, corruption, and economic dependence on commodities. It argues that without aggressive interventions in governance, security, and economic diversification, the region will fail to meet its 2050 sustainability targets. Key recommendations include operationalising the ECOWAS Standby Force Unit, transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and implementing the West African Power Pool white paper to create a regional electricity market.

The document examines how the lack of a harmonised digital identification system in West Africa hindered the free movement of people and goods during the Ebola epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes that the ECOWAS Commission create a framework for digital ID interoperability and a 'health passport' linked to digital IDs to prevent future border closures and economic disruptions. The author suggests leveraging existing initiatives like the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) and the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI), while drawing on successful regional models from the EU's Digital COVID Certificate and ASEAN's Universal Verification Mechanism. The paper specifically recommends that the West African Health Organization (WAHO) lead the digital health trust initiative and that the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) be included in the network to ensure regional health security.

The AfCFTA's Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade (PWYT), released in February 2024, aims to promote the socio-economic development of women and youth by providing affirmative action in capacity building, market intelligence, and trade credit. However, the document identifies a significant gap in the protocol's ability to support informal micro-enterprises, which constitute a large portion of women-led trade in Africa. It recommends the implementation of a four-tiered system of cross-subsidisation based on enterprise size and scope, the creation of a continental Simplified Trade Regime (STR), and the transition from volatile official development assistance (ODA) to sustainable funding derived from common external tariffs or domestic sales taxes.

The report argues that achieving economies of scale in Nigeria's solar sector requires a transition from accelerated importation to local assembly and eventually local manufacturing. It identifies that approximately 7 million Nigerian households are ready for immediate solar home system (SHS) deployment based on geospatial data. The analysis demonstrates that combining four key enablers—import tariff waivers, reduced cost of debt, increased plant capacity, and product subsidies—could reduce SHS prices by 34% and increase the number of households able to afford these systems by 288%.

The research investigates the hypothesis that African agricultural exporters could substitute for US goods rendered expensive by tariffs. Using trade data from 2017 to 2019, the author finds that while African exports to China grew, the rate of growth declined over time and was significantly lower than that of competitors in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. The paper argues that Africa has been unable to fully capitalise on the trade war due to a lack of state incentives, poor manufacturing sectors, and a failure to develop specific industries like pork, despite the potential created by the African swine flu in China.

The report examines the intersection of energy poverty and gender inequality in West Africa, highlighting how socially determined roles lead to differential access to and use of energy services. It identifies significant barriers for women in the energy workforce and entrepreneurship, including gaps in STEM education and limited access to land and finance. The document assesses the existing regional and national policy landscapes, noting a general lack of gender-disaggregated data and limited collaboration between energy and gender ministries. It argues for a gender-responsive approach to energy planning to maximize the impact of interventions and achieve universal energy access by 2030.

The paper examines the tension between EU efforts to include high intellectual property rights (IPR) standards in Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the developmental needs of SADC countries. While the SADC interim EPAs currently focus on goods, the author warns that 'TRIPS-plus' provisions—standards exceeding the WTO's TRIPS Agreement—could negatively impact food security, public health, and access to educational materials. The document argues that SADC nations must develop integrated policy frameworks and institutional capacity to manage IPRs and protect genetic resources and traditional knowledge before entering such negotiations.

The document describes an Excel-based economic model designed to assess the Nigerian solar value chain, specifically focusing on Solar Home Systems (SHS) and mini-grids. It outlines how users can simulate different scenarios—importation, local assembly, and local manufacturing—to determine their effects on product pricing, job creation, government revenue, and greenhouse gas emissions. The manual details the model's dashboards, input sheets, and the underlying cost-per-watt and bottom-up methodologies used to derive costs and tariffs.