Don't discount ECOWAS's 50 years achievement - President

Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of ECOWAS, celebrated the bloc's 50-year achievement in regional integration. He urged West Africans to recognize these accomplishments despite criticisms.

Speaking in Accra on Tuesday, he launched ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Dr. Touray acknowledged the tough political and economic climate but emphasized there is much to celebrate.

He stated, “Many might wonder if ECOWAS deserves celebration.” His answer was a strong yes, backed by reasons.

Dr. Touray called ECOWAS the most integrated regional bloc in Africa. He highlighted the Free Movement Protocol allowing citizens to travel and work without visas.

He referenced Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote’s complaints about travel difficulties across Africa. “Thank God, no ECOWAS member state requires him to hassle,” he said.

On trade, he mentioned the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). This scheme has registered over 15,000 companies and more than 50,000 products for duty-free access.

Dr. Touray also discussed SIGMAT, an initiative reducing customs delays in seven countries. Infrastructure remains a priority with a 25-year master plan featuring 201 projects valued at $131 billion.

Among flagship projects is the Lagos–Abidjan highway, estimated at nearly $15 billion and ready for investment. Other major initiatives include the Banjul–Dakar–Abidjan corridor and energy efforts under the West African Power Pool.

He cited a $340 million off-grid electricity access program aimed at closing the region's energy gap.

In health, Dr. Touray praised WAHO for coordinating responses to Ebola and COVID-19. He noted initiatives in climate-smart agriculture and vocational training as part of human-centered development.

He reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to peace and democracy through interventions in Liberia and The Gambia. “ECOWAS ensured The Gambia's people's will prevailed in 2016,” he said regarding their intervention against Yahya Jammeh’s rule.

Regarding maritime security, he noted no piracy incidents occurred in West African waters so far this year due to coordinated efforts in the Gulf of Guinea.

Dr. Touray admitted intra-regional trade is low at around 12%. He called for reforms to remove non-tariff barriers and improve infrastructure across member states.

He appealed to investors to explore opportunities within a population exceeding 400 million people. Despite security challenges from Sahelian states withdrawing from the bloc, he stressed collective action remains vital.

Dialogue with Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso continues amid these challenges. “I remain optimistic we will preserve our gains of regional integration,” he concluded.

ECOWAS was established in 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos for economic integration across West Africa. Its 15 member states have a combined population exceeding 400 million people.

Over five decades, ECOWAS has launched peacekeeping missions and supported democratic governance while facilitating cross-border trade and movement.

However, unity has faced strain due to military coups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso alongside rising terrorism threats and economic instability.