A high-level roundtable commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was held in Lagos on May 28, spotlighting urgent regional issues such as poverty, insecurity, youth unemployment, and democratic backsliding. The event took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and was co-organised by the ECOWAS Commission and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the theme: “ECOWAS, an African Model at 50.” It convened heads of state, senior government officials, diplomats, and representatives from the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN).
Key speakers included Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission; Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Vice-President of the AU Commission; and UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão. In his keynote address, Dr. Touray emphasized that ECOWAS remains a successful model of African regional integration, but warned that more coordinated action is required to tackle insecurity, particularly in the Sahel region and the Gulf of Guinea, where terrorism, organized crime, and political instability persist.
Ambassador Haddadi praised ECOWAS for advancing the free movement of people, goods, and capital—one of its most visible achievements since its founding in 1975. She also highlighted the importance of inclusive governance, especially in ensuring women and youth have a seat at the decision-making table. Leonardo Simão of the UN acknowledged ECOWAS’s diplomatic efforts in restoring constitutional order in countries that experienced military takeovers in recent years, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. He urged continued engagement and dialogue to bring suspended member states back into the regional fold.
Delegates unanimously agreed that ECOWAS’s future must prioritize inclusive development. Key recommendations from the roundtable included expanding job creation initiatives for West African youth, enhancing gender empowerment through political and economic inclusion, strengthening ECOWAS’s conflict prevention and peacekeeping mechanisms, and convening a special summit to define a new 25-year strategic roadmap for regional development and governance.
The roundtable also paid homage to General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State and the last surviving founding leader of ECOWAS. His presence was a symbolic reminder of the regional bloc’s original mission: promoting economic integration and political unity among West African nations.
Despite a backdrop of political volatility and socio-economic hardship in several member states, participants reaffirmed their commitment to the ECOWAS vision. The gathering concluded with a call to revitalize the community’s institutions to better respond to the aspirations of West Africans and to play a leading role in broader African integration efforts.
