Abidjan is hosting a national information and awareness seminar on competition law and policy in West Africa from 2 to 4 June 2026

The opening of the proceedings was chaired by Ibrahim COULIBALY, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts of Côte d’Ivoire.

Two other officials attended the ceremony:

• Jean Jacques MONGBO, Adviser at the Representation Office in Abidjan of the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU);
• Matthieu GONZALES, Programme Officer for Economic and Financial Governance at the Delegation of the European Union to Côte d’Ivoire.

The meeting is jointly organised by the WAEMU Commission and the Regional Competition Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It receives technical and financial support from the Support Programme for Competition and Consumer Product Safety in West Africa (PACoSPro).

It aims to promote a more competitive economic environment that is conducive to investment, growth and consumer protection within the Common Market, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire.

Several topics will be covered during the proceedings, including:

• an introduction to WAEMU competition law;
• WAEMU’s institutional framework and cooperation with Member States;
• the ECOWAS competition framework;
• industrial policy tested against competition policy.

The agenda also includes professional organisations and competition law, competition policy and consumer protection, and a presentation of PACoSPro.

Participants in the seminar include public officials responsible for competition regulation, professionals from the insurance, banking and pharmaceutical sectors, economic journalists, consumer associations and officials of the WAEMU Commission.