ECOWAS Steering Committee Endorses 2026–2030 Development Plan at 11th PPDU Session in Lomé.
By Raymond Enoch
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) took a significant leap forward in shaping the region’s infrastructure and economic future at the 11th session of the Steering Committee of the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU), held on June 26–27, 2025, in Lomé, Togo.
The high-level gathering brought together key regional and international stakeholders to assess the progress of the PPDU, review its strategic orientation, and adopt major decisions that will drive development across West Africa over the next five years.
Chaired by Mr. Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, the session opened with a strong call for enhanced regional cooperation and investment in priority infrastructure projects. Also present were the ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, the Permanent Representative of ECOWAS in Togo, and official representatives from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI).
The committee engaged in a thorough review of PPDU’s ongoing activities, implementation of assignments from the previous session, and the strategic direction encapsulated in its newly drafted 2026–2030 Strategic Business Plan. Particular attention was paid to aligning PPDU’s initiatives with the ECOWAS budgetary framework, ensuring that funding and execution mechanisms are in place to support a seamless roll-out of regional infrastructure priorities.
At the conclusion of the deliberations, the Steering Committee unanimously approved both the Strategic Business Plan and the 2026 draft budget. These crucial documents will now be transmitted for final validation through the ECOWAS budgetary process.
The approval marks a pivotal step in the PPDU’s mission to streamline project preparation, attract sustainable investment, and accelerate delivery of critical infrastructure projects in energy, transportation, and digitalisation across the sub-region.
Observers at the session noted the growing momentum behind ECOWAS-led development initiatives, with stakeholders praising the PPDU’s increasing institutional maturity and regional impact.
As the West African region continues to confront shared development challenges, the outcomes of this session reaffirm the role of the PPDU as a central catalyst for progress, fostering public-private partnerships and promoting inclusive economic growth across the ECOWAS space.
