By Jacob N.B. Parley
Guest Economic/Trade Contributor
BANJUL, THE GAMBIA – The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) has established a regional media network to enhance public awareness and visibility of its activities across the West African sub-region.
The network, known as the Economic Journalists’ Network of ERCA (EJN-ERCA), was formally established on Monday, November 9, 2026, during the opening of a three-day training workshop on competition and consumer protection for economic journalists from ECOWAS member states.
The network brings together media professionals from across the sub-region, with membership comprising journalists interested in economic development, trade, competition, and consumer protection issues.
Liberia is represented by Jacob N.B. Parley, Communications Director at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Robert Dixon, a reporter with the Liberia News Agency (LINA). Their participation is particularly significant as Liberia intensifies efforts to strengthen its competition framework in line with regional standards.
The network is expected to equip journalists with the knowledge and skills to effectively report on issues that undermine fair competition and consumer welfare, including price-fixing, cartels, bid-rigging, and monopolistic business practices.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, ERCA Executive Director Simeon Konan Koffi called for the removal of barriers to fair competition, particularly in cross-border trade, and urged stakeholders to promote business practices that guarantee fair treatment of consumers.
He emphasized that fair competition is essential to ensuring that regional integration delivers tangible economic benefits to households and businesses. He also called on the media to support ERCA’s efforts through increased public awareness and responsible reporting.
For his part, the Director of The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Baboucar M. Ceesay, encouraged journalists to undertake investigative reporting and ensure that decisions taken by business-sector stakeholders reflect the interests of consumers and the wider population.
Mr. Ceesay further stressed that the media has a critical responsibility to educate consumers about their rights and obligations while exposing business practices that undermine consumer confidence and market fairness. He noted that informed consumers are better positioned to make sound purchasing decisions and demand accountability from businesses and service providers.
He also underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between competition regulatory institutions and the media, noting that effective public education and accurate reporting are essential to addressing unfair trade practices. According to him, journalists must go beyond reporting routine business activities and pay closer attention to developments that affect market competition, product quality, pricing, and the overall welfare of consumers.
The training is expected to strengthen the capacity of participating journalists to contribute meaningfully to the promotion of fair competition, consumer protection, and regional economic integration.
