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…
In preparation for the inaugural edition of the West African Festival of Arts and Culture (ECOFEST), a joint meeting of the Regional Organising Committee will be held from July 2 to 4, 2025, in Dakar, Senegal. This key planning session is co-organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Promotion Organisation (TPO) Network and the East African Community (EAC) convened their first-ever Engagement Meeting on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 in Abuja. The three-day event, organised by the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the ECOWAS TPO Network and supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), marks…
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been appointed the new Chairman of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a one-year term. The announcement was made at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority, held on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. The…
ECOMIG’s First Commander, Colonel Ndiaga Ndiouf, has underscored the critical need to integrate women and gender perspectives into the armed forces and peace operations across West Africa. Colonel Ndiouf emphasised such a need in a statement delivered at a one-day conference focused on gender mainstreaming in military peacekeeping operations, outlining the importance of gender equity…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrated its 50th anniversary today with a powerful message from the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu Touray, who reflected on the community’s achievements and outlined a bold vision for its future. Dr Touray paid tribute to the founding leaders of the bloc, who…
The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), in partnership with UNFPA, at the weekend, commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Obstetric Fistula alongside ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary. Obstetric fistula, a severe childbirth injury affecting over 2 million women globally, remains a pressing issue in low-resource settings. ECOWAS has renewed its commitment to addressing this condition…
The ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) convened its twelfth Strategic Orientation Committee meeting in Lomé, Togo, on May 2, 2025, marking a critical moment for evaluating progress in implementing the region’s agricultural development goals. This session focused on reviewing the Agency’s 2024 activity report and financial performance, and approving the proposed 2025…
The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Customs Union and Taxation, has organised a four-day workshop to enhance the capacity of Member States in implementing regional tax expenditure reforms. The workshop, held from 24 to 27 March 2025, in collaboration with the World Bank, brought together representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Tax Administrations…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched its tourism capacity-building program in The Gambia, aimed at strengthening tourism as a driver of economic growth and regional integration. The initiative, which brings together tourism stakeholders from all 12 ECOWAS Member States, focuses on improving tourism standards, attracting investment, and fostering cross-border cooperation. It…
