In a decisive move to deepen regional integration and accelerate private-sector-led development across the continent, the African Private Sector Summit (APSS) has announced the appointment of Otunba Bimbo Ashiru as Deputy Regional Chair for West Africa. The appointment, confirmed in Accra, Ghana on 31 March 2026, signals a renewed phase of strategic consolidation within one of Africa’s emerging platforms for economic coordination and policy dialogue.
The African Private Sector Summit (APSS) has announced the appointment of Otunba Bimbo Ashiru as Deputy Regional Chair for West Africa, ushering in a defining moment in its ongoing effort to strengthen institutional leadership and advance Africa’s private-sector-driven development agenda. Confirmed in Accra, Ghana on 31 March 2026, the appointment reflects a strategic recalibration aimed at reinforcing regional cohesion and enhancing policy and enterprise alignment across West Africa.
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Otunba Ashiru, who has served on the APSS Advisory Board since February 2024, brings to the role a distinguished record of leadership spanning corporate governance, institutional reform, and cross-sector engagement. His elevation reflects APSS’s deliberate commitment to embedding experienced and visionary leadership within its regional structures, particularly at a time when West Africa’s economic landscape is undergoing rapid transformation and increasing integration.
The appointment comes at a defining stage in APSS’s institutional evolution. Over the past two years, the organisation has pursued a structured governance transformation designed to expand its advisory strength and executive capacity. This process was further advanced by the leadership transition framework adopted during the Joint Executive and Advisory Board meeting held on 11 November 2025, which formalised a second phase of succession planning and institutional deepening. These reforms build on earlier structural enhancements initiated in 2023 and the expansion of governance systems in February 2024.
Collectively, these milestones underscore APSS’s ambition to evolve into a more responsive, inclusive, and continentally representative institution. The organisation continues to position itself as a bridge between policy and enterprise, convening stakeholders across government, business, and development ecosystems to advance Africa’s long-term economic integration agenda.
With his new mandate, Otunba Ashiru joins a refined leadership architecture designed to enhance coordination across Africa’s five geopolitical regions and its global diaspora.
APSS described the appointment as a critical step in completing its continental governance framework, strengthening institutional cohesion, and improving regional responsiveness. It expressed confidence that the new Deputy Regional Chair for West Africa will play a central role in driving strategic initiatives, deepening stakeholder partnerships, and advancing high-impact programmes across the sub-region.
Across West Africa, the development has been widely viewed as an opportunity to renew collaboration among governments, private sector actors, and development institutions. APSS reiterated its commitment to advancing the implementation of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), both central pillars of Africa’s integration agenda under Agenda 2063, “The Africa We Want.”
Founded in Ghana as a pan-African, non-profit, and nonpartisan platform, APSS serves as a convening and research-driven institution dedicated to strengthening private sector participation in Africa’s development trajectory. Its mission is anchored in fostering an ecosystem approach that aligns regional economies with continental and global trade frameworks.
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At the heart of its advocacy is the proposed African Private Sector Bill of Rights (PSBoR), a transformative policy framework aimed at creating a more enabling, secure, and competitive environment for enterprise growth across Africa.
With this appointment, APSS not only reinforces its leadership structure but also reaffirms its long-term commitment to building resilient governance systems capable of translating Africa’s vast economic potential into inclusive and sustainable regional prosperity.
