In a decisive day of regional diplomacy, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, on July 7, 2025 hosted four high-level delegations at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, driving forward key partnerships in fiscal governance, scientific peacebuilding, legal integration, and infrastructure-led development.
The strategic consultations, aligned with ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Commission’s 4×4 Strategic Objectives, reflected a renewed commitment to practical regional cooperation that delivers tangible results for the people of West Africa.
“Integration is not only political; it is functional. It must be felt in the lives of our people — in their governance systems, their safety, their rights, and their access to essential infrastructure,” President Touray stated at the close of the day.
The first engagement brought together the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa (ABWA), led by President Mor Dieng, where discussions focused on strengthening professional standards, harmonising accounting practices, and enhancing transparency across national financial systems. Dr Touray commended the role of financial professionals in safeguarding fiscal integrity, stressing that “finance professionals must remain above politics and serve as anchors of governance”.
Following this, the President received Dr Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), who praised West Africa for its complete ratification of the Treaty and for hosting vital monitoring stations that contribute to global peace and disaster resilience. Discussions explored expanding technical cooperation in disaster risk reduction and the peaceful use of nuclear science. President Touray noted, “Science must serve both global peace and regional resilience. Our region’s scientific contribution is a statement of our commitment to peace.”
The day’s third engagement was with the leadership of the West African Bar Association (WABA), who expressed readiness to support ECOWAS in advancing legal harmonisation, electoral justice, and constitutional stability. Emphasising the critical role of legal institutions in sustaining democracy, Dr Touray urged WABA to remain inclusive, principled, and aligned with the region’s shared legal frameworks. “We welcome the engagement of legal professionals in our integration process, but that engagement must be consistent, representative, and rooted in justice,” he affirmed.
Concluding the day, the Steering Committee of the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU), chaired by Hon. Commissioner Sediko Douka, briefed the President on infrastructure financing efforts, including the planned Fund for the Development and Financing of the Transport and Energy Sectors (FODETE). The fund, which aims to raise resources through levies on agricultural and extractive exports, is designed to accelerate regional connectivity and energy access. President Touray welcomed the initiative, emphasizing the need for fair contributions and benefits: “What countries contribute must be balanced against what they receive; and that balance must be negotiated with fairness.”
He also highlighted the urgency of building resilient health and energy partnerships, particularly following recent funding shortfalls. “Lives cannot be paused due to budgetary unpredictability,” he warned, pointing to a new EUR 75 million EU-backed renewable energy project as a step in the right direction.
Reflecting on the day’s discussions, President Touray concluded: “From accountancy to science, from justice to infrastructure, today’s engagements move us closer to the ECOWAS we aspire to — a united region where integration delivers dignity and opportunity to every citizen.”
By placing people at the centre of its cooperation efforts, ECOWAS reaffirmed its long-term goal of a safe, stable, inclusive, and prosperous West Africa.
