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…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment during a high-level ministerial conference held on the sidelines of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Organised by the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Human Development and…
The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) has successfully concluded a 3-day meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, aimed at reinforcing the region’s commitment to enhancing security and military cooperation. The meeting, which took place from March 11 to 13, 2025, brought together top military leaders from across West Africa to address pressing security challenges…
In a bid to enhance regional rice production and food security in West Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission recently signed a $12 million grant agreement to implement the Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Project (REWARD) in the regional bloc. The signing ceremony was held…
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commenced a five-day Governmental Experts Meeting in Abuja to validate the Logistics Concept and Depot Policies for the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF). The meeting, which runs from February 24 to 28, 2025, aims to enhance logistics coordination and deployment efficiency for regional peace support missions. Speaking…
