ECOWAS@50:Gowon, Bianca Ojukwu, Akinyemi Forecast Brighter Future — Call for Sahel States’ Return, Unity and Security.
By Raymond Enoch.
In a powerful show of statesmanship and continental solidarity, some of West Africa’s most respected voices—General Yakubu Gowon, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi—have declared that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is on the right direction of a renewed era of strength, unity and resilience.
Speaking at the golden jubilee roundtable conference themed “ECOWAS, An African Model @ 50: Resilience and Future Prospects”, the trio called for the reintegration of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which recently pulled out of the bloc to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They expressed strong optimism that the breakaway nations would ultimately find their way back.
“When they see that insecurity and energy crises persist outside ECOWAS, they will realize that pulling out wasn’t the solution,” said former External Affairs Minister, Prof. Akinyemi, in a piercing keynote address at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.
Chairing the event was General Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State and the last surviving founding father of ECOWAS. In a calm but stirring tone, Gowon urged the regional body to welcome the Sahel States back with compassion, not condemnation.
“We should treat them with understanding—not rub their exit in their faces,” he advised.
Adding diplomatic weight to the occasion, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, declared the 50th anniversary a launchpad for ECOWAS’ renewed relevance. She praised the vision of the founding fathers and urged regional leaders to recommit to shared values of peace, integration and development.
“This gathering has laid the groundwork for charting a more inclusive and visionary path for ECOWAS,” she said, hailing the forum as “a powerful reflection of the community’s past triumphs and future promise.”
Joining the discussion were high-level figures including ECOWAS President Dr. Alieu Touray, former ECOWAS President Dr. Ibn Chambas, Guinea’s ex-Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate, and AU Commission Vice Chair Selma Malika Haddadi, among others.
Touray, outlining the organization’s future focus, emphasized poverty alleviation, security cooperation, infrastructure development and good governance as core priorities for ECOWAS’ next chapter.
“The disunity in the region threatens our security,” he warned. “Peace and governance must become our highest priorities.”
The United Nations also weighed in. Leonardo Santos Simão, the UN’s Special Representative for ECOWAS and the Sahel, praised the bloc’s maturity in managing tensions with the departing states. He revealed ongoing diplomatic engagements in Niger and Mali aimed at mending relations.
“Only a mature organization could have managed the exit process so diplomatically. The UN stands ready for continued collaboration,” Simão affirmed.
As ECOWAS marks its 50th year, the calls for regional reintegration, security cooperation, and renewed commitment to democratic values have never rung louder. With voices like Gowon, Ojukwu, and Akinyemi leading the charge, the regional body appears poised for a new era of purpose-driven diplomacy.
