Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has reached a resolution to earmark the sum of 19,636,030 Unit of Account (UA) budget for 2026 to fund critical sectors to better the lives of the people of West Africa, particularly on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for effective legislation and effective governance.
The speaker of the Parliament, Hadjia Memounatou Ibrahima, made this known in her closing remarks at the end of the 2025 Second Extraordinary Session of the regional legislature in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday.
She stressed that the budget “ is the engine of our commitment to the people of West Africa,” adding that it will “enable us to carry out our priority missions, including implementing the conclusions of the seminar on AI, while ensuring virtuous and transparent management of public funds entrusted to us.”
The draft budget was adopted by the members of the ECOWAS Parliament during the plenary. The 2026 budget represents a 5% increase compared to the 2025 fiscal year budget. This reflects an upward adjustment of UA 939,233 from last year’s budget which stood at UA 18,996,897.
Out of the draft budget of UA 19,636,030 for 2026, the sum of UA19, 368,394 representing 98.64 % is expected to be financed through the proceeds from the Community Levy, while UA257, 636, equivalent to 1.36% will accrue from others sources.
However, the Parliament has expressed concerns that some members of the community have not been up to date in the payment of the Community Levy, even as it threatened sanctions against defaulting countries.
The ECOWAS Community Levy is a mandatory 0.5% tax on goods imported into ECOWAS member states from non-ECOWAS countries and it is designed to fund the ECOWAS Commission and its activities.
The 2025 Second Parliamentary seminar was centred around Artificial Intelligence to explore the immense potential to modernize Parliarmentary work, strengthen accountability, and bring its institutions closer to citizens. It was followed by the 2025 Second Extraordinary session of the Parliament.
Speaking on the risks of AI, especially on disinformation and misinformation, the speaker said “We have also measured the ethical challenges it raises, particularly in the face of disinformation risks. The recommendations from these reflections will lay the foundation for a visionary regulatory framework, anchored in respect for human rights, inclusion, and democratic values that underpin our Community. We are laying the first stone for responsible and ethical African ownership of artificial intelligence.”
She expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu, FCT minister Nyesom Wike, deputy governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu; deputy president of the Nigerian Senate and first vice-president of the ECOWAS Parliament, Jibrin Barau , among others for their immense contributions to the success of the sessions.
She also expressed gratitude to all honorable deputies of the ECOWAS Parliament for their role in the success of the work, particularly the members of the ad hoc committees and the Administration, Finance, and Budget Committee, whose informed recommendations will guide future action.
In a related development, the ECOWAS Parliament has announced plans to mark its 25th anniversary in November, 2025 to celebrate its achievements over the years despite the challenges facing the region.
The speaker of the Parliament, Hadjia Memounatou Ibrahima, made this known in her closing remarks at the 2025 Second Extraordinary Session of the Parliament in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday. The session was preceded by the Second Parliamentary Seminar dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI), where the Parliamentarians and experts deliberated on deploying AI for effective legislation.
Ibrahim, who is the leader of the Togolese Delegation to the Parliament said the anniversary celebration will be held between 14 and 16 of November, 2025, adding that the Bureau is actively working on organising a successful and harmonious commemoration.
She said, “As soon as preparations are finalised, a formal invitation will be addressed to you. We count on your presence to mark this historic event together,” she told stakeholders.
She appreciated all the experts, media professionals, interpreters, security agents, and all individuals whose discreet dedication contributed to the success of this session, stressing that reflections from the seminar will inspire an innovative, ethical, and forward-looking parliamentary institution.
Other members of the legislature also showed enthusiasm ahead of the celebration.
A lawmaker from the Gambia Maimouna Cessay, told reporters in an interview on Saturday that the 25th anniversary is a celebration of success, adding that the founding fathers of the ECOWAS laid a solid foundation for integration and inclusivity such that somebody from a poor background can become a member of the Parliament.
Cessay, who is the secretary general of ECOWAS Female Parliamentarian Association (ECOFEPA), said “That is a very good initiative for Africa to lead and foresee a big future ahead of us. The challenges we are facing right now, instability, unemployment these are the very challenges each nation is facing in the world especially in West Africa.
“Our leaders must have a very innovative mind to involve the youth in development. This AI is making life easier for everybody. But as long as the government does not participate, and does not engage the youth, we are still going to have a problem. That problem can be solved with dialogue and the dialogue will lead us to peace.”
Ghanaian lawmaker, Eric Afful, who just took his oath of office as one of the new members from the Ghanaian delegation, expressed delight to have joined the regional body at this anniversary year and pledged to offer his support for the activities.
