By Kebba AF Touray
Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, has called for renewed unity and solidarity as the regional bloc commemorates its 50th anniversary amid escalating threats, including terrorism, unconstitutional changes of government, climate change, and economic disparity. Speaking at a high-profile event in Nigeria on May 28, 2025, Dr. Touray said the moment offers both a celebration of past achievements and a sobering opportunity for introspection and recommitment to regional ideals.
ECOWAS, established in 1975, has planned a year-long celebration of its golden jubilee across all 15 member states, beginning with an official launch in Ghana on April 22. The commemorative events aim to reflect on the bloc’s progress and confront the challenges that persist in the region.
Dr. Touray highlighted ECOWAS’s landmark accomplishments over the past five decades, including the facilitation of free movement across borders, the implementation of a Common External Tariff, regional infrastructure development, and strides toward a single currency. He also pointed to successes in building a regional electricity market and expanding digital connectivity.
The Commission, he noted, has stood together in times of crisis, responding to health emergencies, natural disasters, and security threats, while also investing in people through youth empowerment, gender equality, and democratic governance. “We have upheld democracy, dispatched election observation missions, and deployed our Standby Force in defense of peace and regional stability,” he said.
Despite these gains, Dr. Touray warned that the region is now grappling with a new wave of complex and interlinked threats. “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,” he declared.
Calling the 50th anniversary a time for “celebration, introspection, recalibration, and recommitment,” he urged West African citizens and leaders alike to double down on building “an ECOWAS of the People,” anchored in peace, prosperity, justice, and shared responsibility.
He emphasized that the future of the regional bloc must be “brighter, greener, more inclusive, and more secure,” grounded in innovation and sustainability. “Let us recommit to deepening integration, to building inclusive economies, and to advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area through regional leadership,” he said.
Dr. Touray also appealed for renewed efforts in promoting democracy, defending human rights, and enhancing good governance. “Our strength lies in our unity, in our shared identity, and in the spirit of solidarity that defines our Union,” he affirmed.
In closing, he paid tribute to ECOWAS’s founding fathers and assured citizens that the bloc remains committed to a future where its ideals are not just proclaimed but realized. “To our Member States, institutions, partners, and citizens, we say: the journey continues. Together, we will build the ECOWAS of tomorrow—an ECOWAS of Peace and Prosperity for All.”
