ECOWAS Council of Ministers Meet , Considers Institutions Relocation Plans and ETLS and Others. By Raymond Enoch
In a historic and high-stakes meeting, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the mandate of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government convened an Extraordinary Session of its Council of Ministers April 22nd 2025, in Accra, Ghana, gathered to chart the future of regional unity amid the withdrawal of three member states — Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
Also the meeting with the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government aims to trash out contingency plans and the modalities of separation — a development that could reshape West Africa’s geopolitical and economic landscape.
Top on the agenda, is managing the fallout from the prospective exits, including the impact on ongoing regional programs, the possible relocation of ECOWAS institutions currently hosted in the departing countries, and safeguarding the continued free movement of people and goods across borders.
The decisions made in Accra could mark a pivotal moment for West Africa’s future, as the region grapples with rising insecurity, political upheavals, and growing calls for sovereignty among member states.
As leaders huddle behind closed doors, the world watches closely. Will ECOWAS find a roadmap to unity — or formalize a division that redefines the bloc for years to come?
