West Africa: ECOWAS Parliament Adopts 2026 Budget

The ECOWAS Parliament has adopted the budget - the sum of 19,636,030 Units of Account (UA) - for the 2026 financial year.

Speaker of the Parliament, Hadjia Memounatou Ibrahima, disclosed this at the end of the 2025 Second Extraordinary Session of the regional legislature in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday.

"More than just an accounting act, this budget is the engine of our commitment to the people of West Africa. It will enable us to carry out our priority missions, including implementing the conclusions of this seminar on AI, while ensuring virtuous and transparent management of public funds entrusted to us, she said

The draft budget was adopted by the members of the ECOWAS Parliament during the plenary.

This budget represents a 5% increase compared to the 2025 fiscal year budget, reflecting an upward adjustment of UA 939,233 from last year's UA 18,996,897.

Out of the draft budget of UA 19,636,030 for 2026, the sum of UA19, 368,394 representing 98.64 % is expected to be financed through the proceeds from the Community Levy, while UA257,636, equivalent to 1.36% will accrue from other sources.

However, the Parliament has expressed dismay that some members of the community have defaulted heavily on the payment of the Community Levy, while suggesting sanctions against countries that have refused to pay their levy.

The ECOWAS Community Levy is a mandatory 0.5% tax on goods imported into ECOWAS member states from non-ECOWAS countries, and it is designed to fund the ECOWAS Commission and its activities.

The 2025 Second Parliamentary seminar dedicated to artificial intelligence was a platform for the Parliament to explore its immense potential to modernise its work, strengthen accountability, and bring its institutions closer to citizens. It was followed by the 2025 Second Extraordinary session of the Parliament.

Speaking on the risks of AI, especially on disinformation and misinformation, the Speaker said, "We have also measured the ethical challenges it raises, particularly in the face of disinformation risks. The recommendations from these reflections will lay the foundation for a visionary regulatory framework, anchored in respect for human rights, inclusion, and democratic values that underpin our community. We are laying the first stone for responsible and ethical African ownership of artificial intelligence."

Read the original article on Daily Trust.