The 5th meeting of Industry and Commerce ministers with the private sector of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) took place in Mali on September 28, 2026. Mali's Prime Minister, General Abdoulaye Maïga, presided over the meeting, which was attended by ministers from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The meeting aimed to promote economic integration and competitiveness within the AES region.
Moussa Alassane Diallo, Mali's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdoulaye Seydou, Niger's Minister of Commerce, and Serge Gnaniodem Poda, Burkina Faso's Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Artisanal, were among the attendees. Niger's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdoulaye Seydou, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, which he believed would facilitate the harmonization of commercial activity frameworks.
The meeting aligns with the vision of the AES founding fathers to ensure economic sovereignty. The goal is to create a competitive Confederal market and promote regional economic integration. The ministers discussed ways to strengthen the regional economy, improve the business climate, and increase trade within the AES.
The meeting's agenda included the development of a competitive industrial sector, improvement of the business climate, and facilitation of trade within the AES. The ministers also discussed the need to combat fraud and unfair competition, and the creation of a central purchasing body.
Prime Minister Maïga, on behalf of Mali's Transitional President, General Assimi Goïta, emphasized the importance of accelerating the implementation of an integrated economic space. He suggested involving ministers responsible for economy, finance, transport, agriculture, and security in future meetings to develop a joint reform program.
The meeting's outcome is expected to contribute to the development of a more integrated economic space within the AES. The ministers aim to promote the "Made in AES" brand, increase trade, and ensure shared prosperity. The next meeting will focus on elaborating a joint program of reforms to facilitate the free movement of people and goods within the confederal space.
The AES is working to strengthen its economic integration and competitiveness. The meeting's recommendations will be taken into consideration to achieve this goal. The Alliance aims to negotiate a new framework agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to define new relationships between the two entities.
Key points
- The meeting aimed to promote economic integration and competitiveness within the AES region.
- The ministers discussed ways to strengthen the regional economy, improve the business climate, and increase trade within the AES.
- The meeting's outcome is expected to contribute to the development of a more integrated economic space within the AES.
