President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged leaders in the sub-region on the need to implement policies and programmes agreed to for the good of the citizens of the community.
Tinubu says the Economic Community of West African States remains a beckon of African unity.
He spoke on Wednesday in Lagos at the occasion commemorating the 50th anniversary celebration of the birth of ECOWAS and also hailed the country’s former Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon and other founding fathers of the regional body describing them as “Wise men of West Africa”.
The celebration has as theme: stronger together for a Brighter Future”
The President’s of Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Togo were in Nigeria for the celebration.
The ECOWAS treaty was signed on May 28, 1975, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on Kofo Abayomi Street, Lagos, Nigeria.
The treaty establishing the regional bloc was signed by leaders of 15 West African nations on May 28, 1975.
Tinubu said: “Your excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, ECOWAS is a beacon of African unity in overcoming colonial policies and legacies. We brought together anglophone, francophone and lusophone countries.”
He expressed concern that member states are lagging behind in the area of implementation of policies and programmes.
He urged them to invest in the people, especially the women and youth.
Tinubu who is also ECOWAS Chairman said: “Despite our progress, challenges remain. Our greatest task now is implementation. We are lagging behind on implementation, and I urge all member states to match policy with action.
“Let us, our citizens, feel the real impact of our shared efforts. Our young people, our young people are women, who have, who form the majority, must be at the heart of ECOWAS development. We must invest deliberately in their education, entrepreneurial development, health care, and leadership.
“We must mentor them. Their success is the key to the future and stability, prosperity of ECOWAS.”
He also highlighted Nigeria’s support towards building capacity of the people within the regional doe the last 40 years under the Technical Aid Corp.
He said: “For nearly 40 years, Nigeria has supported regional capacity building through technical aid control.
“We remain committed to deploy skilled professionals to ECOWAS countries, and we continue to honour every eligible request. I promise you.”
He added, “Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as we look forward to the next 50 years, let us renew our contact with one another with courage, clarity, respect, and determination.”
Speaking of the initiators of ECOWAS, Tinubu said they brought joy and ease to the region through their actions, describing them as true wise men.
He said: “That you brought us joy and ease. That you got together the instincts and determination of wise men. You are the wise men of West Africa”.
Tinubu added: “We celebrate not only five decades of history, but the enduring spirit of unity, resiliency, resilience and shared destiny that defines our community. In 1975, our founding fathers and leaders envisioned a West Africa where borders were united rather than divided, a region of free movement, thriving trade and peaceful co-existence.
“That vision is still alive today. We thank God we have the thinkers, we have the wise men, we have the opportunists. Today we pay tribute to all who have nurtured it, especially you, General Yakubu Gowon, our only surviving founder and a symbol of this historic journey.
He also commended both the past and present heads of state and government for sustaining and upholding the vision.
The past and present head of state, government within the community, for upholding the values of integration, cooperation and solidarity, I commend our former executive secretaries and commissioners present who have helped the leadership build the ECOWAS into a formidable force for peace, progress, stability and love among our members. I also recognise the tireless work of ECOWAS commission staff and its staff.
“ Our voices in this matter have facilitated business cultural exchanges and mobility across Western. For peace and security, ECOWAS has acted decisively to restore constitutional order and counter-establishment.
“Our intimate cooperation on counter-terrorism and financing reflect our shared commitment to peace and security.
“ In government, ECOWAS has upheld democratic norms, mediation, and institutions such as ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice. We maintain accountability, rule of law, and people-centred governance.
“In agriculture and infrastructure, we have launched bold strategies to address our food security and drive our regional development. “The ECOWAS Infrastructure Master Plan 2020-2045 provides a framework for connectivity, trade, and prosperity.
“On ICT and digitalisation, we are embracing innovation to drive growth from internet exchanges, platforms which strengthen gender-reporting, originality, and accountability.
That we will promote truth, we will promote unity, we will promote harmony.
The war of integration is never done. Each generation must carry the flame forward, lighting the path of unity and shared progress for those who came, who’ve come after.”
He said the dream is to build a West Africa “where no child is denied opportunity because of where they were born, where there is no conflict. Where our economies thrive through joint effort.
Where our people walk together towards peace, prosperity, and justice. This Golden Jubilee is not merely a celebration of the past, but a summons to shape the future. Commanding us, say let us draw strength from our history, courage from our struggles, and hope from our shared potential. In our unity lies our power and our solidarity, our success. To the people of West Africa, this is your community.”
Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar said that the anniversary is so important because “it reminds us of the vacuum that only common action and common purpose and common values can fill. The post-Cold War era is over: new divisions are emerging; technology is advancing at an extraordinary pace: the pressure on the old order is intense. It does not mean the arguments for multilateralism are diminished. On the contrary: we need ECOWAS more than ever to meet the challenge of unfiltered data, unregulated crypto currency, AI, climate change, organised crime, cyber-slavery and human trafficking and violent extremism. It is self-evident that institutions need to adapt to remain relevant. ECOWAS continues to move forward. It is our rich history and promise for the future.”
He added, “Under President Tinubu’s leadership, the reform process has continued to make implementation of ECOWAS objectives more efficacious, fostering legal and regulatory convergence towards a Custom Union and common currency among member states. The ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, SIGMAT, Abidjan-Lagos, Abidjan-Dakar corridors, West African Power Pool and the framework for the African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline are a few of the long list of achievements that time does not allow me to mention here.”
He also lamented the departure of three member states, saying “that it distracts from the significant achievements of our Community. But democracy is a process and not an event; we are therefore confident they will return to ECOWAS in the future. There is no other way for countries in our region but to rely on the larger internal market of ECOWAS for the size and scale required to drive down costs. Individually or even in smaller groupings, we lack the capacity to generate the productive efficiency to compete in a world that is increasingly dependent on scale.”
On his part, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President, ECOWAS Commission said, “Today, ECOWAS
represents more than an Institution—it is a symbol of the enduring aspirations of over
400 million citizens.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
“In these five decades, our Community has made remarkable strides:
We have facilitated free movement across borders, allowing our people to travel,
trade, and connect without barriers. We have advanced intra-regional trade,
implemented a Common External Tariff, and developed critical regional
infrastructure, linking our capitals and markets. We have laid the groundwork for a
single currency, built a regional electricity market, and extended digital
connectivity across borders.
“We have stood together in the face of epidemics, insecurity, and natural disasters,
offering humanitarian support and strengthening healthcare and food systems. We
have invested in our most valuable resource—our people—by promoting gender
equality, youth empowerment, and human capital development. We have upheld
democracy, dispatched election observation missions, and deployed our Standby
Force in defence of peace and regional stability.
“These achievements, while significant, are not merely chapters in our history. They are
the building blocks of a future that we must continue to shape—together. The challenges
we face today—terrorism, climate change, unconstitutional changes of government,
poverty, and economic disparities—are formidable. But so too is our collective will.
“As I have often said, ECOWAS is better and stronger together as a Community. Our
strength lies in our unity, in our shared identity, and in the spirit of solidarity that
defines our Union.
“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, this 50th Anniversary is not only a moment for celebration, but it is also a moment for
introspection, recalibration, and recommitment. Let us recommit to an ECOWAS of the
People—where peace, prosperity, and justice are not just ideals, but lived realities. Let us
recommit to deepening integration, to building inclusive economies, and to advancing
the African Continental Free Trade Area through regional leadership. Let us recommit to
fostering democracy and good governance, and to defending the rights and dignity of
every West African citizen.
“As we look to the next fifty years, let us dream boldly and act courageously. The future of
ECOWAS must be brighter, greener, more inclusive, and more secure. It must be anchored
in innovation, in sustainability, and in the unwavering belief that we are indeed stronger
together.”
