Jack Acheme, Abuja
The need to deepen knowledge on the African integration strategy, assess its impact, and challenges will take center stage, as a group organizes a dialogue to mark the celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at fifty.
The Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, in a statement, signed by Raheem Akingbolu, its media relations officer, noted that at the heart of discussions to be held by distinguished diplomats and thought leaders is the ECOWAS Passport and protocols initiative on free movement of persons, goods, and services, designed to improve unity of the region.
Akingbolu said that how to improve on such initiatives will be the focus of the discussants during “The African Public Square (APS)” session, which is a follow-up to its inaugural edition, held in London in 2023, which explored Africa’s global agency.
“The APS debate will feature experts in international development and public policy who will examine ECOWAS’ achievements and challenges, including the withdrawal of three member states, effective January 2025.
“As the region marks this golden jubilee, the African Public Square offers a timely platform for reflection, dialogue, and renewed commitment towards ensuring that regional integration becomes not only a policy objective but a lived reality for all West Africans,” he said
He emphasized that the dialogue with the theme ‘Reimagining West Africa Regional Cooperation and Integration: Alternative Futures,’ which will be held from from 31 October to 1 November 2025 at the Main Auditorium, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria, will reflect on West Africa’s integration journey, inspire fresh thinking and chart a resilient, people-centered path for the region’s future.
He added that the Vision 2050 of ECOWAS articulates a bold ambition to evolve from an ECOWAS of States, to an ECOWAS of Peoples, as such realizing it demands renewed political will, inclusive governance, and deliberate efforts to bridge the gap between governments and citizens.
The event, which will convene policymakers, scholars, and civil society leaders, is being organised in collaboration with African Leadership Centre, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and WATHI (The West Africa Citizen Think Tank).
Oyenike Oyeniyi