West Africa: Liberia Gets Key Leadership Role in ECOWAS

18 December 2025
Liberian Observer (Monrovia)

Liberia has been elected to head the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Statutory Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy, and Agriculture, marking an important diplomatic victory for the country.

In addition, Liberia secured a seat on the full bench of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.

The decision followed intense debate and lobbying during the regional body's ministerial deliberations.

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Liberia was represented on the Council of Ministers by Foreign Minister H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti and Dephue Y. Zuo, Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management, who represented Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who could not travel to Abuja due to pressing national duties.

Other Liberia representatives included Dr. Ibrahim Nyei, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation, and Liberia's Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. John A. Ballout.

Liberia contested against Benin and Cape Verde for the committee chairmanship, and against Ghana and Senegal for the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission.

After hours of negotiations, a consensus was reached, granting Liberia the committee leadership and a judicial seat.

Ghana, which is expected to vie for the Chairmanship of the African Union, withdrew its bid in the spirit of solidarity.

This paved the way for Senegal to be elected President of the ECOWAS Commission.

Liberia was not able to take the presidency because Nigeria went for the vice presidency, and two anglophone countries cannot be in the leadership, according to the ECOWAS rules.

Other appointments included Nigeria as Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Sierra Leone as Commissioner for Political and International Affairs, Côte d'Ivoire as Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Benin as Commissioner for Social Services and Youth Development, and Cape Verde as Auditor General.

Also, according to ECOWAS, the newly elected officials will assume office at the next ordinary summit of the Council of Ministers, scheduled for June 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Liberia currently heads the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering, known by the acronym (GIABA) in West Africa.

GIABA is a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose mandate is to protect the national economies and financial systems of member states from the proceeds of crime and to combat the financing of terrorism.

However, under President Boakai's administration, records show the country is in good standing at the ECOWAS Commission, with Foreign Minister Nyanti assuring the Council of Ministers that Liberia is on course to regain its leadership role in global governance.

The Commission also reached a consensus that Liberia will assume the Chairmanship of the Commission after the Republic of Senegal in 2030.

Read the original article on Liberian Observer.

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