 Parliament has launched a commemorative programme to mark 25 years of service to the people of West Africa.){kind=link}
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has launched a commemorative programme to mark 25 years of service to the people of West Africa.
Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Ibrahima, announced the programme during a news conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
She was represented by the Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Research, Mr Kabeer Garba.
According to her, the year-long activities will run from January to November and will take place in seven member states: Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Togo and Sierra Leone.
Ibrahima said the programme aims to bring the parliament closer to citizens while highlighting its contributions to democracy, regional trade, women’s inclusion and youth participation.
“Instead of a single ceremonial event, we designed a multi-country programme to showcase the parliament’s impact and engage directly with the people,” she said.
The ECOWAS Parliament was formally established on November 16, 2000 in Bamako, Mali.
Its 25th anniversary was first marked in November 2025 and later commemorated during the parliament’s second ordinary session in December 2025 in Abuja.
According to Ibrahima, the anniversary activities will also increase public awareness of ECOWAS programmes, including the free movement protocol and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, which many citizens are still unaware of.
She atated that the Secretary-General of the ECOWAS Parliament would coordinate the programme with authorised partners including Duchess N. Limited, CMD Tourism and Trade Enterprise, and Borderless Trade and Investment.
The Chief Executive Officer of Duchess Naturals Limited, Victoria Akai, said the private sector was honored to support the programme, noting that ECOWAS Parliament had played an important role in promoting democratic governance and regional cooperation over the past 25 years.
Akai said the activities would focus on key areas such as regional trade, support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women’s economic empowerment, youth innovation, civic engagement and cultural heritage.
Managing Partner of Borderless Trade and Investment, Olori Boye-Ajayi, said the programme would bring together policymakers, entrepreneurs, youth groups and civil society organisations to strengthen regional collaboration.
Planned Activities
She said planned activities include business forums, 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 lead to a regional finale in Accra,” she said.
Boye-Ajayi added that cultural festivals celebrating West African fashion, film, literature, music and food would also form part of the programme.
The anniversary activities will conclude with a closing ceremony in Abuja in November, featuring a gala event and discussions on the future of regional integration.
Also speaking, the Head of Global Trade and Structured Finance at Providus Bank, Mr Biodun Ariyo, said the bank was proud to support the initiative.
He added that stronger networks and partnerships across borders would help boost trade and economic opportunities in the region.
NAN/Hauwa M.