ECOWAS @ 50: Speaker Calls For Stronger Regional Governance

The speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima has called for bold institutional reforms to strengthen governance structures, improve financial sustainability, and enhance the effectiveness of regional decision-making.

Ibrahima, who made the call while speaking with me, emphasised the need for a revised ECOWAS Founding Treaty that reflects West Africa’s evolving political and economic landscape.

The speaker acknowledged the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, for his unwavering commitment to regional stability, while extending gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for hosting the seminar and facilitating critical discussions on the future of ECOWAS.
She highlighted ECOWAS’ achievements and shortcomings over the past five decades and called for a renewed focus on governance reforms.

Revising the 1975 ECOWAS Treaty was a key recommendation to realign the bloc’s priorities with current challenges, including security threats, economic integration, and democratic governance.

Meanwhile, the first deputy speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Barau Jibrin, at the first parliamentary seminar on ECOWAS @50 and Parliament @ 25, in Lagos, stressed the importance of strengthening oversight mechanisms to ensure that ECOWAS policies are effectively implemented. He also highlighted the need for greater financial autonomy, calling for an increase in the community levy to ensure sustainable funding for ECOWAS initiatives.

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One of the most debated topics at the seminar was the role of the ECOWAS Parliament in shaping regional governance. Calls for enhancing the Parliament’s legislative powers and transitioning to a directly
elected body gained strong support, as parliamentarians argued that an empowered Parliament would improve democratic representation and accountability.

Participants also pushed for ECOWAS to institutionalize greater citizen participation in decision-making, ensuring that policies reflect West Africans’ needs and aspirations.

The seminar which ended over the weekend, was concluded with a firm commitment from Members of the ECOWAS Parliament and regional stakeholders to push for necessary reforms.

A draft outcome document containing key recommendations—including treaty revisions, enhanced financial mechanisms, and institutional restructuring—will be submitted to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State for further action.