By Nana Musa
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament celebrate 25 years of service to the people of West Africa by inaugurating a year commemorative programme across seven members States.
The speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Hadja Ibrahima, made the announcement during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
The ECOWAS member states includes Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Togo and Sierra Leone.
Ibrahima, whom was represented by the Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Research at the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Kabeer Garba, said that the programme was from January to November this year.
According to her, the parliament has worked to advance democratic consolidation, regional trade, women’s inclusion and youth participation.
Ibrahima said that rather than organising a single ceremonial event, we have designed a strategic, multi-country programme to showcase tangible impact and bring the parliament closer to its citizens.
She said that the parliament was formally established on Nov. 16, 2000 in Bamako, Mali.
Ibrahima said the anniversary was first marked in November 2025 and later commemorated during the parliament’s second ordinary session in December in Abuja.
She said that the year-long programme was designed to increase public awareness of the institution and its role in promoting democracy and regional integration.
“Our greatest strength as an ECOWAS institution is the fact that we represent the people of the West African region.
“We provide a voice for the people and defend their interests, but we cannot achieve this without bringing the people along and ensuring they understand the programmes available within ECOWAS,” Ibrahima said.
According to her, many citizens were still unaware of opportunities provided by regional initiatives such as the ECOWAS free movement protocol and the ECOWAS trade liberalisation scheme.
Ibrahima said that the sustained public engagement was necessary to ensure citizens and businesses take advantage of the programmes.
She also said that the secretary general of ECOWAS parliament would coordinate the implementation with authorised partners: Duchess N. Limited, CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprise and Borderless Trade & Investment.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Duchess Naturals Limited, Victoria Akai, said that the activities would complement efforts by the parliament to deepen economic cooperation and public awareness within the sub-region.
She said that the private sector was honoured to support the anniversary programme marking the milestone of the parliament, which was established to give the people of West Africa a voice in the regional integration process.
According to her, the ECOWAS was founded on May 28, 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos, was created to promote economic integration, cooperation and self-reliance among member states.
Akai said that the ECOWAS parliament has over the past 25 years played a significant role in strengthening democratic governance and advancing regional cooperation.
“At the centre of this effort is the ECOWAS parliament, which has worked to involve the people of West Africa in the integration process.
“As private sector partners committed to regional economic development, we are proud to support the parliament in delivering a year-long programme of activities across several member states,” she said.
Akai said the programme would focus on key priorities including regional trade and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development, women’s economic empowerment, youth innovation, civic engagement and cultural heritage.
The Managing Partner of Borderless Trade and Investment, O
lori Boye-Ajayi, said the anniversary activities would take place across several places.
Boye-Ajayi said the programme would bring together policymakers, entrepreneurs, innovators, youths and civil society groups to deepen regional collaboration.
She said activities would include business-to-business forums, pilot trade corridor initiatives, youth innovation competitions and civic awareness campaigns across the region.
“Young innovators will take centre stage through the ECOWAS smart challenge, where national competitions will spark ideas and entrepreneurship, culminating in a regional finale in Accra,” Boye-Ajayi said.
She said that the cultural festivals celebrating fashion, film, literature, music and food would also highlight the shared identity and diversity of West Africa.
Boye-Ajayi said the programme would culminate in a closing ceremony in Abuja in November 2026 featuring a gala evening and reflections on the future of regional integration.
Also speaking, the Head of Global Trade and Structured Finance at Providus Bank, Mr Biodun Ariyo, said that the trade remained a key driver of economic growth and regional cooperation.
He said that the bank was proud to support the initiative, stronger networks and collaboration across borders would enhance trade and economic opportunities for businesses within the region.
Ariyo said that the platform would also enable financial institutions to expand access to trade financing and strengthen cross-border business relationships.
