Nigeria has urged the new leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to make regional unity, peace and citizen-centred development the cornerstone of its administration as the bloc begins a new phase under General Birame Diop.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call in Abuja at the formal handover ceremony for outgoing and incoming statutory appointees of ECOWAS institutions.
Diop, a former Senegalese Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, officially assumed office as President of the ECOWAS Commission on August 31, succeeding Dr Omar Alieu Touray of The Gambia, whose four-year tenure ended. Anthony Ogunjimi of Nigeria also assumed office as the new Vice President of the Commission.
The transition comes as ECOWAS seeks to strengthen regional cooperation and respond to persistent political, security and economic challenges confronting West Africa.
Speaking as the host minister, Enikanolaiye conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greetings and goodwill to the incoming leadership, describing the transition as a reaffirmation of continuity in the regional integration project more than 50 years after ECOWAS was established.
He urged the new leadership to return to the ideals of the founding fathers and work towards a united, peaceful, prosperous and integrated West Africa.
The minister particularly challenged the new administration to deepen the concept of an “ECOWAS of citizens and not of governments,” stressing that regional integration must ultimately translate into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
Enikanolaiye urged the incoming management to accelerate the implementation of ECOWAS Vision 2050, “The ECOWAS of Peoples: Peace and Prosperity for All.”
The vision identifies peace and security, governance and rule of law, economic integration and interconnectivity, inclusive development and social inclusion among the Community’s strategic priorities.
According to the minister, priority should be given to free movement of persons, intra-regional trade and investment, infrastructure development, food and energy security, youth and women empowerment and job creation.
He said these areas were critical to making regional integration meaningful to the people of West Africa.
Nigeria also called for greater financial discipline within ECOWAS institutions, with Enikanolaiye stressing the importance of financial probity, accountability, cost-effectiveness and prudent management.
He noted that Nigeria and other member states commit substantial resources to ECOWAS through the Community Levy and therefore expect the organisation to demonstrate value for those investments.
The minister urged the new leadership to ensure that available resources were deployed efficiently towards programmes that advance regional integration and improve the welfare of citizens.
The Nigerian government also placed renewed emphasis on security, describing peace and stability as the foundation upon which economic integration must be built.
Enikanolaiye called for intensified engagement with the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), urging ECOWAS to approach relations with the countries as an engagement between neighbours and brothers with shared histories, challenges and aspirations.
The call comes amid continuing efforts to address divisions within West Africa and strengthen regional cooperation.
For Nigeria, the minister said, dialogue and constructive engagement remain essential to building a more cohesive regional bloc.
In his inaugural address, General Diop appealed for renewed unity, solidarity and mutual respect among member states and stakeholders.
He called on ECOWAS staff and partners to work collectively towards building a more united, cohesive and efficient institution capable of responding effectively to the aspirations and challenges of West African citizens.
Diop said the new administration represented a fresh chapter for West African integration and urged stakeholders to make the period one of peace, dignity and shared prosperity.
His background in defence and security is expected to bring particular attention to the region’s peace and security architecture, while his administration is also expected to pursue stronger economic cooperation and institutional effectiveness.
The leadership transition involved not only the ECOWAS Commission presidency but also a wider change in statutory appointments.
According to the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Kalilou Sylla of Côte d’Ivoire is the new Commissioner for Internal Services; Mrs Francess Alghali of Sierra Leone is Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; while Mr Dehpue Yenpea Zuo of Liberia takes charge of Economic Affairs and Agriculture.
Mr Amin Amidu Sulemani of Ghana is Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, while Prof. Nassirou Bako-Arifari of Benin is Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs.
Ms Carla Maria Borges Bettencourt of Cabo Verde is the new Auditor-General for ECOWAS Institutions. Dr Palokinam Pitche of Togo becomes Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), while Mr Mam Cherno Jallow takes over as Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).
The outgoing Commission President, Dr Touray, used the ceremony to reflect on his four-year tenure, saying the departing leadership was leaving behind an institutional record of achievements.
The handover also featured the symbolic presentation of the Management Performance Compendium to the incoming President, signing of handover notes and the unveiling of an ECOWAS@50 special publication.
While commending the outgoing president, commissioners and heads of ECOWAS institutions for their service, Enikanolaiye congratulated the incoming team and urged them to lead with vision, integrity and efficiency.
He assured the new leadership of Nigeria’s continued cooperation, stressing that Africa’s largest economy remained committed to working with all ECOWAS member states to strengthen regional integration.
“Nigeria remains committed to working constructively with the new leadership and all Member States towards a stronger, more integrated and people-centred ECOWAS,” he said.
The ceremony, held at the new ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, brought together the Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, H.E. Cheikh Niang; members of the Permanent Representatives Committee; Chair of the ECOWAS Business Council, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; officials and staff of ECOWAS institutions and members of the press.
With the new leadership now in place, attention will turn to how the Commission translates its renewed emphasis on unity and solidarity into concrete measures to deepen trade, improve regional connectivity, strengthen peace and security and deliver economic opportunities to West African citizens.
For Nigeria, the message at the Abuja transition was clear: the future of ECOWAS depends not only on cooperation among governments, but on the organisation’s capacity to restore confidence, strengthen unity and make regional integration directly relevant to the people it was established to serve.
