ECOWAS at 50: Leaders Call for Unity, Reform, and Citizen-Driven Renewal Amid Regional Crises

As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marks its 50th anniversary, leaders and policymakers across the region have urged deeper unity, institutional reform, and a renewed commitment to the bloc’s founding principles amid rising political instability and security threats.

Speaking during the Future Proofing Regional Integration in Africa: The African Public Square Debate held in Abuja on Friday, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatah Musah, said the milestone offers an opportunity for “deep reflection, partnership, and renewal.”

Representing ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, Musah commended the collaboration between the Africa Leadership Centre, the Amandla Institute, and the Mandela Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, describing the event as a crucial platform for shaping ECOWAS’ next phase.

Tracing the organisation’s journey since its founding in 1975 by Generals Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria and Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo, Musah highlighted its achievements in uniting the region’s diverse linguistic and colonial histories — Francophone, Anglophone, and Lusophone — under one economic and political framework.

He identified three defining eras in ECOWAS’ evolution: its Cold War origins, its post-Cold War peacekeeping interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire, and the current phase marked by insecurity and democratic regression.

“West Africa is at a crossroads,” Musah warned. “We face crises of security and democracy. Elections are increasingly uncompetitive, and governments are sidelining opponents — one of the reasons some member states have withdrawn from ECOWAS.”

He also stressed that worsening insecurity in the Sahel underscores the need for strategic adaptation. “We must ask ourselves where to go from here. ECOWAS is now engaging in citizen-led introspection to define a new 15-year roadmap for the region,” he added, emphasising the vital role of youth and civil society in driving that renewal.

“The youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the change agents of today,” he said.

Former Ekiti State Governor and Co-founder of the Amandla Institute, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, described the forum as “a timely and critical conversation” on ECOWAS’ future, warning that the bloc risks becoming “detached from the people” if it fails to embrace citizen-centred reforms.

“There is an urgent need for ECOWAS to reconnect with the everyday realities of West Africans,” Fayemi said, noting that traditional military responses are insufficient to tackle terrorism and governance challenges. He cautioned against military coups as solutions, observing that insecurity often worsens under junta regimes.

“ECOWAS must evolve to reflect current realities and rebuild trust with its citizens,” Fayemi urged.

Also speaking, Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President for International Engagement and Services at King’s College London, called for a “complete reinvention” of the West African integration model. She said the 50th anniversary presents an ideal moment to rethink cooperation and rebuild regional solidarity.

Established in 1975 to promote economic integration, free movement, and collective security among 15 member states, ECOWAS has played major roles in peacekeeping and democracy promotion. However, recent military coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, alongside economic hardships, continue to test the bloc’s unity and relevance at 50.