In 2014, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government endorsed the machine-readable ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as the official travel document to replace the previous hand-written ECOWAS Travel Certificate. This transition was aimed at enhancing safe, secure, and well-organized intra-regional mobility within the ECOWAS region. Read More »

St. Anthony Parish, Brookfields, Freetown, Sunday 16 June 2024 – His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio attended this year’s thanksgiving and patronal feast day celebration of St. Anthony of Padua on the theme, “Building a Vibrant Parish.” The ceremony brought together Catholic worshippers to reflect on the saint’s life. Read More »

The 300-level International Relations students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, visited the ECOWAS Liaison Office in Lagos on June 5, 2024. This visit was part of their curriculum and a significant step towards earning a BSc degree in International Relations. Read More »

The Sahel and West Africa Club’s Policy Steering Group (PSG) convened in Paris, France, on June 4-5, 2024. The ECOWAS Commission was represented by Mrs. Massandjé Toure-Litse, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture. She was accompanied by Mr. Hemou P. Dedou, Permanent Representative of ECOWAS in Brussels; Mr. Alain Traore, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development; and Mr. Diabate Bazoumana, Executive Assistant. Read More »

At a ceremony in Abuja on June 13, 2024, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation handed over cheques totaling almost $2 million to the World Food Programme and the Nigerian Red Cross Society. The funding was provided by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which tasked the ministry with coordinating the project. Read More »

The Republic of Liberia Executive Mansion, Monrovia - His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President and Visitor to the University of Liberia, has issued a formal directive to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees and President of the University of Liberia. Read More »

On Monday, June 10, 2024, the 49th anniversary of ECOWAS was celebrated at the ECOWAS Resident Representation in Côte d’Ivoire. The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Kacou Houaja Léon ADOM, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Ivorians Living Abroad. The theme of the celebration was “Strengthening Regional Unity, Peace and Security.” Read More »

With the Malabo Declaration ending in 2025, ECOWAS and the African Union are developing a new 10-year agenda for the region. This process involves stakeholder consultations, research, analysis, and political mobilization, culminating in a declaration of the new agenda by January 2025. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Malabo Declaration emphasizes involving public and private stakeholders in African agricultural transformation. Read More »

His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, visited former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at her Fish Market residence on June 12, 2024. The visit was to express condolences on the passing of her son, Former Central Bank Deputy Governor Charles Sirleaf. Read More »

The Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has handed over a state-of-the-art pediatric hospital worth $16.6 million to support President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment to improving healthcare service delivery in Sierra Leone. The President Dr. Julius Maada Bio Pediatric Centre of Excellence has a bed capacity of 166 for patients and 46 for mothers in the Special Baby Care Unit. It includes an emergency room, an operation theatre, a special outpatient clinic, a pediatric intensive care unit, a high-dependency unit, an isolation unit, a... Read More »

From June 10 to 14, 2024, in Lomé, Togo, the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) is conducting a training workshop for national stakeholders on case management in consumer protection. The ERCA, which represents ECOWAS on consumer protection issues, is tasked with implementing Directive A/DIR.2/07/23 on consumer protection. This directive was adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government at their ordinary session on July 9, 2023, in Bissau. Read More »

State House, Freetown, Friday 14 June 2024 – Head of Grant Management Division at Global Fund, Mark Eldon-Edington, and his team from Geneva have officially presented a cheque for $136,244,674 to His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio as part of its new grant cycle to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Read More »

Acting in accordance with section 5(2) of the Public Holidays Ordinance, 1945, His Excellency the Governor has directed that Friday, November 15, 2024, shall be observed as a public holiday to mark the occasion of the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III. Read More »

President Boakai pays condolence visit to former President Johnson Sirleaf Read More »

His Excellency Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, received a delegation from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) on June 11, 2024, at the headquarters of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria. The visit was part of UEMOA's study mission to the ECOWAS Directorate of External Relations and its Unit responsible for coordinating projects with ECOWAS Development Partners (EDPCC). Read More »

His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, has nominated additional members to the Ministry of National Defense. These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Liberian Senate. Read More »

The ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs held an online consultation with Member States Directors responsible for child protection from June 5-7, 2024. The meeting focused on the implementation of the ECOWAS Strategic Framework on Child Protection Systems Strengthening. The objectives included assessing the framework's implementation by Member States, identifying emerging child protection trends in the region, and integrating responses into policies and plans. Additionally, the meeting aimed to build capacities in child protection systems strengthening... Read More »

Access Bank PLC has announced the successful completion of its acquisition of African Banking Corporation (Tanzania) Limited, known as BancABC Tanzania. This move aligns with Access Bank's strategic expansion goals and marks a significant step in its journey to become a globally respected African bank. Read More »

On June 3, 2024, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Togo participated in the official launch of humanitarian assistance to victims of the 2022 floods in Togo. This initiative falls under the Mechanism of Humanitarian Response (MEDH) adopted by ECOWAS Member States in 2012. The event took place in Titigbé, Sotouboua Prefecture, Central Region of Togo, under the sponsorship of the Minister of Security and Civil Protection. Read More »

A delegation from the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) is conducting a study mission to the Directorate of External Relations of ECOWAS, specifically with the ECOWAS Development Partners Coordination Unit (EDPCC), from June 10 to 13, 2024. This initiative aims to enhance cooperation between ECOWAS and UEMOA by sharing experiences and best practices in coordinating and implementing programs financed with external resources. Read More »