Amandla Institute Hosts Meeting On West Africa’s Integration

The Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement is set to host a high-level meeting of experts to reflect on West Africa’s integration journey as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the organisers, the two-day event, scheduled for October 31 and November 1, 2025, will be held at the Main Auditorium of the ECOWAS Commission, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja.

In a statement, the organisers disclosed that the meeting will focus on “Reimagining West Africa Regional Cooperation and Integration: Alternative Futures.”

“Organised in collaboration with the African Leadership Centre, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and WATHI (The West Africa Citizen Think Tank), the event will bring together policymakers, scholars, and civil society leaders to assess ECOWAS’s achievements and challenges over the past five decades. The second edition of The African Public Square (APS) will be held during the meeting as part of the activities. The APS, which debuted in London in 2023, provides a platform for public debate on Africa’s global agency and regional development issues.

“The Abuja edition will feature discussions on ECOWAS’s achievements, challenges, and the recent withdrawal of three member states, effective January 2025. International development and public policy experts are expected to present insights on strengthening regional cooperation and promoting a people-centred integration agenda. Speakers at the event will highlight ECOWAS’s milestones, including introducing the ECOWAS Passport and protocols on the free movement of persons, goods, and services.

“However, they will also examine ongoing challenges such as insecurity, economic disparities, and weak policy implementation, which have slowed progress toward regional integration,’’ the statement read.