ECOWAS@50,West African Leaders Launch Golden Jubilee Anniversary with Bold Vision for Renewal in Accra By Raymond Enoch
Leaders from across West Africa gathered in Accra to launch a year-long celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Golden Jubilee was ushered in with powerful calls for deeper integration, economic renewal, and unity among the member states.
“Fifty years on, ECOWAS has every reason to celebrate its evolvement from a modest economic cooperation framework into a dynamic, multifaceted regional community,” said Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, while welcoming dignitaries to the opening ceremony.
Since its founding on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, ECOWAS has become a pillar of peacekeeping, trade liberalisation, and infrastructure development in the region. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, spotlighted the organisation’s transformative work in key areas such as energy access and regional connectivity.
“Our objective is to celebrate, reflect and recalibrate our community,” Dr. Touray noted. “We must now double down on tackling security threats and unlocking the full potential of ECOWAS’s 400 million-strong market.”
Notably, he pointed to the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme—now benefitting over 15,000 companies—and applauded the region’s zero-piracy record in 2024.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Nigerian President and current ECOWAS Chair, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized the importance of recommitment.
“This moment calls for a renewed commitment to fostering unity and solidarity among Member States,” she said, urging collective action on democracy, youth empowerment, and a long-anticipated single currency.
President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, stressed that ECOWAS must remain grounded in the everyday needs of its people.
“Community citizens must feel that ECOWAS is not just some bureaucracy but a living organisation that understands their hopes and aspirations,” he said.
In a gesture underscoring that commitment, President Mahama announced Ghana’s provision of 1,000 scholarships for young people from across the region to study in Ghanaian universities, aiming to nurture the next generation of West African leaders.
With a proud past and a determined eye on the future, ECOWAS enters its second half-century with a rallying cry for unity, progress, and people-centered development.
