ECOWAS Backs ARIP with $200,000 Boost, President Tours Benin Lab. By Raymond Enoch
In a bold move to ignite a new era of scientific innovation across West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has awarded a US$200,000 prize to the Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances (URMAPha), a trailblazing scientific lab nestled within the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin.
This award, part of the African Research and Innovation Programme (ARIP), underscores ECOWAS’s commitment to championing scientific excellence and addressing Africa’s pressing health and environmental challenges through homegrown solutions.
On Friday evening, May 9, 2025, the lab buzzed with excitement as H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, toured its cutting-edge facilities. Accompanied by H.E. Amadou DIONGUE, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, the visit served as both a celebration of achievement and a signal of ECOWAS’s intent to scale scientific empowerment across the region.
URMAPha, established in 2017, has quickly risen as a national beacon of research excellence, where dedicated scientists blend innovation with indigenous knowledge to combat some of Africa’s most persistent problems—from infectious diseases to environmental degradation.
“The future of Africa lies in its ability to produce solutions for its own people. This support through ARIP is a testament to that belief,” said Dr TOURAY during the visit, emphasizing the strategic importance of building scientific capacity within the region.
The ARIP programme, launched by the ECOWAS Commission, is a competitive funding initiative designed to reward and boost top-tier research projects from across West Africa. URMAPha’s project was one of the two winning proposals in the 2021 edition, earning recognition for its groundbreaking work and regional relevance.
With this financial boost, URMAPha is poised to deepen its research efforts, expand its impact, and inspire a new generation of African scientists ready to tackle the continent’s challenges head-on.
As the sun set over Abomey-Calavi, the message was clear: the science revolution in West Africa is not only possible—it’s already underway. And with ECOWAS investing in local brilliance, the future looks decidedly homegrown.
