ECOWAS Appoints Nigeria’s Dr Habibu Yaya Bappah as Commissioner for Internal Service By Raymond Enoch
In a decisive move aimed at strengthening institutional governance and administrative efficiency, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has appointed Dr Habibu Yaya Bappah, a seasoned Nigerian technocrat and scholar, as its new Commissioner for Internal Service.
The appointment places Dr Bappah at the heart of the Commission’s administrative and managerial architecture, a role critical to the effective functioning of ECOWAS at a time of heightened regional, economic, and political recalibration. With over two decades of professional experience—including more than nine years of continuous service within the executive core of ECOWAS leadership—Dr Bappah brings deep institutional memory and proven strategic competence to the position.
Prior to his elevation, Dr Bappah served as Special Adviser to the President of the ECOWAS Commission on Economic and Financial Integration and Partnerships, where he played a pivotal role in shaping high-level policy coordination and advising on strategic decision-making. He also previously functioned as Executive Assistant to Commissioners overseeing Finance and Political Affairs, Peace and Security, placing him at the centre of ECOWAS’ policy formulation, administrative procedures, and financial governance systems.
Sources within the Commission describe his appointment as a strategic consolidation of experience, continuity, and reform-oriented leadership. Over the years, Dr Bappah has been directly involved in advancing key pillars of the ECOWAS Vision 2050, particularly in the areas of economic and financial governance, public finance management, budget planning and execution, and institutional reforms aimed at improving regulatory compliance and inter-departmental coordination.
His contributions also extend to the Community’s peace, security, and democratic governance agenda, where he supported preventive diplomacy missions, electoral assistance initiatives, mediation efforts, and the implementation of regional peace and security frameworks—an increasingly critical mandate in the West African sub-region.
Beyond his executive experience, Dr Bappah is a distinguished academic. He spent a decade as a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, specialising in International Relations with a focus on regional integration and ECOWAS. During his academic career, he taught courses in comparative regionalism, development administration, and international relations theory, supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research, and actively participated in university governance. He served two terms as a member of the University Senate and represented the Senate on key boards and committees.
Dr Bappah’s academic credentials further reinforce his suitability for the role. He holds a Doctorate in Political Science with a focus on ECOWAS’ institutional evolution; a Master’s degree in Political Science with emphasis on economic integration and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme; a second Master’s degree in Leadership and Security; and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies. He is fluent in English and French, a critical asset in the multilingual ECOWAS environment.
As Commissioner for Internal Service, Dr Bappah is expected to leverage his insider knowledge of ECOWAS’ procedural and institutional dynamics, alongside his expertise in administration, financial management, ethics, change management, and statutory governance processes, to drive efficiency, accountability, and coherence across the Commission.
Dr Habibu Yaya Bappah has since been formally sworn in in line with the ECOWAS Protocol at the conclusion of the 95th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, held in Abuja, Nigeria—officially assuming office as the Commission intensifies efforts to strengthen internal systems and leadership capacity in pursuit of deeper regional integration across West Africa.
