Raheem Akingbolu, who participated a recent two-day event held in abuja to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States, writes on the need for the bloc to come with new agenda that speaks to the sub-region's economic, political, social and security challenges.
On May 28, 1975, fifteen West African countries convened in Lagos, Nigeria, to sign what was later known as the Treaty of Lagos, signaling the formal establishment of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) with the core objective to create a unified regional market that would allow the West African nations to trade, move and develop together.
Between October 31 and November 1, 2025, African leaders, experts and leadership thinkers gathered at the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria as part of the activities marking the golden jubilee of arguably the most enduring regional organization in Africa investing intellectual energy immersed in embellished political will and renewed zeal to build regional cooperation and integration.
Aptly themed "Reimagining West African Regional Cooperation and Integration: Alternative Futures", the ECOWAS at 50 anniversary provoked a rich intellectual discourse to drastically review the conviction of the founding fathers of the sub-regional group, who "believed that the (member) countries stood to gain more from cooperation and integration than they would lose." This belief was boosted by the adoption in 1978 of the protocol on the free movement of people, goods, and services.
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Obviously, despite the initial hiccups largely caused by the Francophone countries due to the inclement policies of France - their colonial overlord, the recent relegation of three French colonized West African countries from democratic engagement to the abyss of military dictatorship has done and still doing terrible injury to the economic and political integration of the sub-regional entity.
ECOWAS remained a postal boy of the African sub-regional groups until the outbreak of a bitter disagreement between the leaders of three of the member states - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - and the ECOWAS leadership over the unconstitutional changes of government that had taken place in the three countries.
To the discerning minds, the theme of the 50th anniversary of the sub-regional group, could not have been more apt as the breakaway trio had in grudges hastily formed Alliance of Sahel States. Looking at the next 50 years of the Community while reviewing the last 50 years could not have been more wholesomely tackled without targeting the people and their access to flexible trade terms within the region beyond a parade of leaders and powers.
Former Ekiti State governor and co-founder Amandla Institute, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, while calling for urgent reform of ECOWAS insisted that the challenges of poverty, inequality, governance deficits, and insecurity in the West African region could not have been effectively addressed by the regional bloc in its current form without some deliberate overhauling.
Speaking in Abuja at the second edition of the African Political Square and the Experts meeting on Alternative Futures for ECOWAS at 50, jointly organized with the African Leadership Centre (ALC), in collaboration with CODEDRIA and WATHI, Fayemi said: "Clearly, the current state of the regional body underscores the need for deep reflection on how ECOWAS can move beyond being an elite-driven institution to one that truly represents and serves its people.
"The challenges of poverty, inequality, governance deficits, and insecurity cannot be effectively addressed by ECOWAS in its current form. There is an urgent need for a new, citizen-centered approach that responds to the real concerns of ordinary West Africans, rather than focusing solely on the priorities of political leaders."
"It is also my hope that a key part of our discussion will focus on security and the role of the military in addressing instability in the region. It is now evident that traditional military strategies alone are inadequate in tackling the complex threats posed by insurgent and terrorist groups."
He decried that: "Many of these groups are deeply embedded within communities and even, in some cases, within the military itself. What is needed is a more sophisticated intelligence-based approach, combined with efforts to address the underlying social and economic drivers of insecurity. We need a comprehensive human security strategy that deals with issues of poverty, inequality, and governance failures, which extremist groups continue to exploit."
Fayemi noted unambiguously that military rule is no option even in a failed democracy.
"While it is understandable that many citizens are frustrated with civilian governments that have failed to deliver on governance and security, we should also not mince words that military rule is not a viable alternative in tackling governance deficits. History has shown that military regimes do not provide sustainable solutions. In fact, in the three countries that have now exited ECOWAS, terrorism and insecurity have worsened since the military took over."
He tasked the leadership of ECOWAS to get a working arrangement with AES countries, stressing that: "The challenge for ECOWAS is how to engage these regimes while also ensuring a pathway back to credible democratic governance. It is crucial that ECOWAS continues to leverage diplomatic efforts in finding pragmatic ways that do not alienate the breakaway states further but instead brings them back into a cooperative regional framework."
On his part, the ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray lamented that the regional bloc today faces a crisis of democracy and security.
Touray, represented by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdufatah Musah, described the moment as one demanding "deep introspection and honest self-assessment."
He said: "ECOWAS today faces a crisis of democracy and security. Manipulation of constitutions and exclusionary politics have become fashionable. Democracy is in crisis, and insecurity has worsened."
Touray noted that the bloc's history had passed through three phases: formation amid Cold War divisions, the peacekeeping era of the 1990s, and the current struggle with insecurity and governance.
"It was visionary leadership that created ECOWAS in 1975," he recalled. "At that time, bringing together francophone, anglophone, and lusophone states was itself a miracle. Now, after fifty years, we must ask whether we are still faithful to that vision."
He warned that "external shocks and internal weaknesses" had combined to create a turning point for West Africa. "The world is no longer bipolar; it is multipolar -- even multicultural."
He disclosed that ECOWAS had launched "a series of introspections" across its structures to redefine its strategy for the next 15 years.
Also speaking, the Vice President (International Engagement) at King's College London and Founding Director of the African Leadership Centre, Professor Funmi Olonisakin, said the 50th anniversary should provoke a fundamental rethink of the regional body's purpose and structure.
"Even without the current crises, a strong case exists for a reinvention of the West African integration project. The transition from an ECOWAS of rulers -- an elite club of political leaders -- to a community of the people has not happened as hoped."
Leaders like Dr Godwin Murunga, Executive Secretary, CODESRIA, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security among others all pointed out that the ECOWAS at 50 milestone serves as both a celebration and a call to action as the region now stands at a crossroads, laying particular emphasis on how the future West African rests on the shoulders if the choices made now.
Speakers unanimously agreed and reaffirmed the central role of ECOWAS in fostering peace, integration and collective progress among the Community member states.
African Public Square debate provided a platform for an energizing intergenerational reflection on the future of regional integration in Africa.
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It was resolved that reinventing regional organisations by making them more inclusive, transparent and responsive in tandem with the aspirations of the African youth.
Addressing the tensions between state-led integration, the imperative of pragmatic reforms in that regard, paying special attention to the institutional and bureaucratic challenges that disconnect community citizens.
Meeting of Experts, a session that featured a projection of anticipated key trends over the next 50 years; future of economic integration and sustainable development; ECOWAS Vision 2050 and new technologies - Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Social Media, and the future of the West African community - the people, peace and prosperity.
The discussions provided a reflection on whether ECOWAS as presently structured is fit enough for purpose and capable of responding to the evolving aspirations of it's citizens particularly women and young people.
The session also provided a forward-looking assessment of the region's evolution, identifying key drivers of transformation and the critical reforms required to ensure inclusive and sustainable regional integration.
All speakers concurred that integration without people is an illusion and that ECOWAS must be both a community of people and an organization that upholds the regional social contract that empowers women, youth, the poor and the disabled to thrive.
In the light of the significant and perceived decline in democratic governance, marked by a resurgence of military coups, conditional manipulations by incumbent leaders, and a failure to deliver economic and security dividends to citizens, many speakers were of the opinion that a reinvented ECOWAS should prioritize ethical leadership and accountability.
