Amandla Institute to Host High-Level Forum in Abuja on Reimagining West African Integration as ECOWAS Marks 50 Years

The Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement has announced plans to convene a high-level regional forum in Abuja to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and explore new strategies for deepening regional cooperation and integration.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the institute said the two-day event — themed “Reimagining West Africa Regional Cooperation and Integration: Alternative Futures” — will take place on October 31 and November 1, 2025, at the Main Auditorium of the ECOWAS Commission, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja.

Organised in collaboration with the African Leadership Centre, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and WATHI, the meeting will bring together policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders to reflect on the past, present, and future of West African integration.

According to the organisers, the 50th anniversary presents a moment to confront the “paradox of regional integration” — the tension between state-led ambitions and grassroots realities.

> “While governments often set the agenda, it is the people’s daily interactions that drive integration on the ground,” the statement noted, “highlighting a growing disconnect between formal policies and citizen-led initiatives.”

The forum will also feature the second edition of The African Public Square (APS) — a follow-up to its inaugural edition held in London in 2023, which examined Africa’s global influence. This year’s APS debate will assess ECOWAS’ successes and setbacks, including the withdrawal of three member states effective January 2025, and seek to chart a more resilient and people-centred vision for the region’s future.

The statement acknowledged ECOWAS’ landmark contributions to regional unity — such as the ECOWAS Passport and the free movement of persons, goods, and services — while noting that challenges like insecurity, economic inequality, and weak policy implementation have slowed progress. It also cited the delayed adoption of a common currency and shifting geopolitical dynamics as further complications.

The organisers stressed that ECOWAS Vision 2050 outlines an ambitious goal to transition from “an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples.” Realising this, they said, demands renewed political will, inclusive governance, and stronger citizen engagement.

> “As West Africa celebrates its golden jubilee, The African Public Square offers a timely platform for reflection, dialogue, and recommitment — ensuring that regional integration becomes not just a policy aspiration but a lived experience for every West African,” the statement concluded.