The ECOWAS Parliament, has urged West African member States and lawmakers to intensify efforts towards moving beyond declarations and ensure concrete actions and implementation of regional trade and governance commitments.
The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament, Mémounatou Ibrahima, made the call at the closing of the Parliament’s First Ordinary Session of 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria.
She stressed that the Parliament must rise to the pressing political, economic and security realities confronting the region.
While, strengthening its role in advancing efforts towards the ratification and effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), she warned that regional integration must be built deliberately and inclusively to succeed.
According to her, the three-day parliamentary seminar preceding the session provided a critical platform to examine both the opportunities and challenges of the AfCFTA.
Mission of Parliamentarians
She outlined a threefold mission for parliamentarians. “As direct representatives of the people, our mission is threefold. We must tirelessly advocate for the ratification and effective implementation of the AfCFTA protocols. We must monitor the alignment of national policies with our regional commitments.
“We must also raise awareness among our economic actors and citizens about the immense opportunities offered by this integrated market. In short, we must be the voice that challenges, the eye that monitors, and the engine that drives progress to make parliamentary oversight a tool for more inclusive, transparent, and resilient regional integration,” she said.
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, commended the Bureau of the Parliament, lawmakers, experts and resource persons for their contributions.
She noted that the presence of sister institutions , including the ECOWAS Commission, the Court of Justice, and the Office of the Auditor General symbolised Community unity.
According to her, discussions on the AfCFTA underscored both its vast potential and the obstacles that must be overcome for West Africa to reap maximum benefits.
“We were able to grasp not only the stakes of such an instrument, but also to understand the national and regional challenges we must overcome if we are to derive the greatest benefit from it,” she said.
Ibrahima, further acknowledged that while the agreement raises high expectations, it has not achieved unanimity among stakeholders.
Lawmakers highlighted concerns over persistent non-tariff barriers, slow harmonisation of legal frameworks, infrastructure deficits, and the risk of marginalising women, youth and informal traders.
“These reservations do not represent a rejection of integration, but rather a call for clarity and action.They remind us that the implementation of the AfCFTA cannot simply be decreed; it must be built, step by step, with our Member States and our economic actors”, she said During the extraordinary session.
Programme of Activities
lawmakers have reviewed and adopted the Parliament’s 2026 programme of activities, structured around four priorities, which Ibrahima described as a roadmap for building a citizen-oriented Parliament.
” As for our extraordinary session, it allowed us to examine and adopt the Parliament’s program of activities for 2026. A structured and demanding program, built around four priorities: Citizen Participation, Institutional Strengthening, Peace and Governance, and Facilitation. This is our roadmap for building, in concrete terms, “a citizen-oriented Parliament,” she said.
the Speaker also welcomed the adoption of the 2026 activity programme of ECOFEPA, noting that women parliamentarians remain an essential driving force of regional integration.
” In this context, I also welcome the adoption of the 2026 program of activities of ECOFEPA. The women parliamentarians of ECOWAS are, and will remain, a key driver of our integration. At all these points and throughout our debates, you have demonstrated a high sense of responsibility. Every decision has been guided by the only compass that matters: the best interests of our people”, she noted Addressing broader regional challenges.
The Speaker of the Parliament, acknowledged that West Africa faces fragile political transitions, persistent security threats, economic vulnerabilities and climate emergencies.
In the face of such pressures, she warned against isolationism. “Our unity and our integration are more than ever shields and bulwarks,. The ECOWAS Parliament must amplify its voice as a vigilant guardian of democracy and a catalyst for economic and social integration”.
Legislators on their part stressed on non-tariff barriers, lagging legal harmonization, and critical infrastructure gaps as major obstacles.
They warned of social exclusion specifically regarding women, youth, and informal traders who risk being left behind if the transition to a consolidated market is mismanaged.
From Deliberations to Concrete Action
She expressed hope that deliberations at the session would translate into concrete actions, courageous reforms, and more inclusive public policies across member states.
“This seminar was very informative, but it also highlighted differences of opinion and legitimate concerns. While the agreement raises great hopes, it has not been unanimously accepted.
“Several of you have raised major challenges, the persistence of non-tariff barriers, slowness in harmonising legal frameworks, infrastructural shortcomings, and the risks of excluding women, young people, and informal traders. These reservations are not a rejection of integration, but a call for clear thinking and action.
They remind us that the implementation of the AfCFTA cannot be decreed. It is built, step by step, with our Member States and our economic actors” she added.
With that, Ibrahim formally declared the first extraordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2026 closed, ending with a prayer for the regional bloc and the African continent.
Expressing appreciation to the Nigerian government and people for hosting the session, she specifically thanked President Bola Tinubu and his administration for their hospitality.
The session, which has lawmakers, technical experts, and representatives from key community institutions including the ECOWAS Commission and the Community Court of Justice, in attendance was dominated by two parallel narratives: the immense promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the growing need for its implementation.