The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States has recomit themselves to the founding vision of the global body.
The rehional bloc Wednesday 28 May 2025 kicked off its 50th Anniversary celebration with a series of high-level commemorative events in Lagos, Nigeria.
The celebration has as theme: “Stronger together for a Brighter
Future”
The ECOWAS Commission has set a target to transform ECOWAS with an estimated 300 million citizens from an ECOWAS of
States to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity to All” by 2050.
The plan is to ensure that citizens of the community take ultimately ownership for the realization of the new vision.
ECOWAS was established on May 28, 1975.
The treaty that gave birth to the regional body was signed at the National Institute of International Affairs, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos by 15 Heads of States and government.
The Treaty of Lagos was signed by the 15 Heads of State and government of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal and Togo,
with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. The Senegalese President was repre-
sented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Cabo Verde joined the union in 1977. The only Arabic-speaking Member
Mauritania withdrew in December 2000. Mauritania recently signed a new associate-membership agreement in Au-
gust 2017.
ECOWAS membership has since reduced to 12 following the recent withdrawal of Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger.
The milestone celebration according to the ECOWAS Commission, “reflects five
decades of regional cooperation, economic integration, and collective progress across West
Africa.”
The day’s events is expected to commence with a symbolic Re-Enactment of the Signing of the ECOWAS Tre-
aty by Heads of State and Government at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA),
Victoria Island, Lagos. “This historic moment will recall the community’s founding vision and
recommit its leadership to a shared future,” the Commission stated.
According to the programme of events, the main 50th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony will follow at Eko Hotel and Suites,
also on Victoria Island. Dignitaries, partner organizations, and invited guests from across the
sub-region will gather to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and future aspirations of
ECOWAS.
Rounding off the day will be a high-level roundtable discussion titled:“ECOWAS, an African
Model @50: Resilience and Future Prospects.”
This forum will bring together former ECOWAS leaders at various levels to share insights, les-
sons learned, and perspectives on the regional body’s path forward.
As ECOWAS commemorates its Golden Jubilee, the theme “Stronger together for a Brighter
Future” underscores the community’s enduring resilience and its commitment to peace,
prosperity, and integration in West Africa.
ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collec-
tive self-sufficiency for its member states. As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc
through economic cooperation.
Integrated economic activities as envisaged in the area that has a combined GDP of $734.8 billion, revolve around
but are not limited to industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce,
monetary and financial issues, social as well as cultural matters.
In 2007, ECOWAS Secretariat was transformed into a Commission. The Commission headed by the President, as-
sisted by a Vice President, five Commissioners and the Auditor-General of ECOWAS Institutions, comprising experi-
enced bureaucrats who are providing the leadership in this new orientation.
The ECOWAS budget is essentially financed by revenue collected through the Community tax. The tax was intro-
duced to finance its activities. The rate of the Community levy is set at 0.5% of the CIF value of goods imported from
non-ECOWAS countries.
As part of this renewal process, ECOWAS is implementing critical and strategic programmes that will deepen cohe-
sion and progressively eliminate identified barriers to full integration.
