President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, has called on leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to complement bold policy declarations with decisive and consistent implementation.
He stressed that the regional bloc must now transform its fifty-year legacy into tangible benefits for its citizens, with a particular focus on young people and women, who make up the majority of the region’s population.
Delivering a keynote address on Wednesday in Lagos at the 50th anniversary celebration of ECOWAS, President Tinubu highlighted the organisation’s key achievements in regional integration, trade liberalisation, peacekeeping, and the promotion of democratic governance.
“Our young people and women, who constitute the majority, must be central to our development agenda. We must invest intentionally in youth education, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and leadership development. We must mentor them, for their success is key to ECOWAS’s future stability and prosperity,” the president said.
He particularly emphasised youth empowerment and the need for leadership succession across the West African sub-region, describing young people and women as not only the future but also active contributors to present progress.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the ECOWAS project, President Tinubu declared, “Nigeria has stood at the heart of ECOWAS since its inception in 1975. For nearly five decades, we have remained a pillar of regional development, cooperation, and solidarity.”
Reflecting on the community’s founding, he paid glowing tribute to former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving signatory to the original ECOWAS Treaty.
“General Gowon helped lay the cornerstone of what has become a formidable institution for unity in West Africa,” he noted.
The president also spotlighted Nigeria’s long-standing contributions to regional development through initiatives such as the Technical Aid Corps, which for nearly 40 years has deployed skilled professionals across ECOWAS member states.
“We remain ready to support regional capacity-building and will honour all eligible requests for assistance,” he assured.
Tinubu cited Nigeria’s role in ECOWAS’s evolution—from championing trade liberalisation and free movement to supporting peacekeeping efforts and democratic transitions. He referenced successful programmes like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, cross-border collaborations, and constitutional interventions in troubled states as key achievements of the bloc.
“ECOWAS has emerged as a beacon of African unity. We overcame colonial divisions to forge a shared vision, uniting Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone nations under a single cooperative framework,” he said.
However, President Tinubu cautioned that the bloc’s progress must now be matched by real impact. “Despite our achievements, challenges remain. Our greatest task is implementation. We are lagging behind, and I urge all member states to match policies with action. Let us make our citizens feel the impact of our shared efforts,” he said.
He also underscored the importance of digital transformation, infrastructure development, and food security, referencing ongoing initiatives to harness innovation and accelerate growth across the region.
“In governance, ECOWAS has upheld democratic values through election monitoring, mediation, and institutions such as the ECOWAS Parliament and the Court of Justice,” he noted. “We must also entrench accountability, the rule of law, and people-centred governance.”
On agriculture and infrastructure, the president highlighted the implementation of robust strategies to address food insecurity and drive regional growth.
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Regarding information and communications technology (ICT), he stated that the region is embracing digitisation and innovation, referencing partnerships with platforms such as Google and regional internet exchanges which have improved gender reporting and strengthened transparency.
As ECOWAS marks its golden jubilee, President Tinubu called on all member states to recommit to the founding ideals with “courage, clarity, respect, and determination.”
He described the milestone not merely as a commemoration of past achievements, but as a clarion call to shape a future defined by cooperation, prosperity, and peace.
“To the people of West Africa: this is your community. Your hands built it, your resilience sustained it, and your dreams will shape what it becomes. Together, let us carry forward the flame of integration,” he said.
On behalf of Nigeria, President Tinubu reaffirmed: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to ECOWAS and to the vision of unity and progress it embodies, guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
