The Authority of Heads of State and Authorities of the Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) launches the beginig of actions to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the regional bloc at this time, April 22, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
Welcoming dignitaries to the Golden Jubilee launch, H.E. Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of International Affairs of the Republic of Ghana, reaffirmed Ghana’s unwavering dedication to the political and financial liberation of West Africa and the deeper integration of the area.
“Fifty years on, ECOWAS has each cause to have fun its evolvement from a modest financial cooperation framework right into a dynamic, multifaceted regional neighborhood, championing not solely financial integration but in addition peace, safety and social improvement,” he acknowledged.
In his handle, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Fee, highlighted the Neighborhood’s progress in peacekeeping, integration, commerce liberalisation, infrastructure, and power entry. He cited key milestones such because the Free Motion Protocol, the ECOWAS Commerce Liberalisation Scheme—benefiting over 15,000 firms—and strategic infrastructure tasks just like the Lagos–Abidjan and Abidjan–Praia corridors. He additionally lauded ECOWAS’s peace efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia, noting the milestone of zero piracy incidents in 2024.
“Our goal is to have fun, replicate and recalibrate our neighborhood,” Dr. Touray acknowledged. He referred to as for stronger collaboration to beat commerce and infrastructure challenges, deal with safety threats, and unlock the complete potential of ECOWAS’s 400 million-strong market by strategic funding and regional cooperation.
Delivering a message on behalf of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Authorities, H.E. Ambassador (Mrs.) Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for International Affairs, paid tribute to 5 many years of regional unity and progress whereas urging Member States to embrace the second for renewal.
“This second requires a renewed dedication to fostering unity and solidarity amongst Member States,” he declared. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to democracy and regional solidarity, calling for stronger establishments, youth empowerment, and accelerated integration by a single foreign money and enhanced infrastructure.
In his opening assertion, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, emphasised the necessity for ECOWAS to stay linked to the individuals it serves, stating that “neighborhood residents should really feel that ECOWAS isn’t just some forms however a residing organisation that understands their hopes and aspirations.”
Underscoring Ghana’s dedication to youth empowerment and regional solidarity, President Mahama introduced the availability of 1,000 scholarships for younger individuals from throughout the ECOWAS Area to pursue greater training in Ghanaian universities, a transfer geared toward increasing instructional alternatives and fostering a brand new technology of West African leaders.
Heads of State and Authorities of fifteen West African Nations established ECOWAS after they signed the ECOWAS Treaty on Could 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria. The Treaty was signed by Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS).
