The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., has been appointed as a temporary member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Steering Group under the Guest Initiative. This appointment was announced by FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo in a letter, noting that it aligns with paragraph 87bis of the FATF Internal Governance Principles. Read More »

The ECOWAS Commission hosted the 90th Birthday Anniversary Lecture for General Dr. Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State and the only surviving founding father of ECOWAS, on October 19, 2024. General Gowon was a pivotal figure in the establishment of ECOWAS in May 1975. Read More »

A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) participated in the 10th Rebranding Africa Forum held in Brussels, Belgium, from October 17 to 19, 2024. The forum focused on the theme "Building Africa Together," aiming to encourage collaboration among Africa's political and economic players for a prosperous future. Read More »

Faleolo International Airport, Samoa, Tuesday, 22 October 2024 – President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has arrived in Apia, the capital of Samoa, to participate in the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The event runs from October 21 to October 26 under the theme “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Commonwealth.” Read More »

Colombo, Sri Lanka—President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone engaged in discussions with Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, as he traveled to Samoa for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Read More »

The International Moral Guarantors conducted a second assessment mission in Sierra Leone from October 14 to 18, 2024. This mission aimed to monitor the progress of the "Agreement for National Unity," signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the All Peoples Congress (APC) party on October 18, 2023. Read More »

The First Lady of Liberia, Kartumu Yarta Boakai, dedicated the renovated Joseph G.N. Gbadyu Public School in Neekreen Township, Grand Bassa County on October 18, 2024. The ceremony highlighted the ARREST Agenda and the government's commitment to education and child welfare as key aspects of national development. Read More »

Richard Weber, former chief of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), has called on the U.S. government to exert pressure on Nigeria for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS-CI agent. Weber made this statement during a podcast on October 3. Read More »

State House, Freetown - The Joint Assessment Mission of International Moral Guarantors recently visited President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone. They commended him for his commitment to peace, stability, and national unity. Read More »

The ECOWAS Commission recently held a workshop in Freetown, Sierra Leone, aimed at strengthening the National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) from September 30 to October 1, 2024. The focus was on enhancing the institutional capacity of the NTFCs by providing them with tools and technical knowledge necessary to meet World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) obligations. Read More »

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of Liberia met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, marking a significant engagement between Liberia and the Holy See. The meeting underscored a longstanding relationship focused on peace, development, and social progress. Read More »

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Private Sector in Guinea held an awareness campaign on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) on October 17, 2024, in Conakry, Guinea. The initiative aimed to foster understanding and adoption of the scheme among Guinean private sector players. Read More »

The ECOWAS Commission and the World Bank, in partnership with the governments of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo, have announced the 16th Coordination Committee Meeting of the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Programme. This meeting is set to occur in Dakar, Senegal on October 23, 2024. Read More »

The Youth Institute of Guinea Bissau, in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, has successfully conducted a workshop to empower young people with skills and knowledge to address drug use and irregular migration. The initiative is funded by the ECOWAS Youths and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) based in Ouagadougou. It aims to equip youth leaders to play an active role in tackling these issues within their communities. Read More »

After a rigorous 30-hour competition, the team "ShellxRoot" from Côte d'Ivoire has claimed victory at the third edition of the ECOWAS Hackathon. The team secured first place with a score of 510 points and successfully captured five flags in this regional cybersecurity event. Read More »

CRESMAO organized a workshop from October 14 to 16, 2024, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, focusing on fisheries governance and the challenges posed by illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in West Africa. This event aligns with the recommendation from the 65th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to promote regional cooperation against IUU fishing. Read More »

The new leadership of the ECOWAS Court of Justice visited H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 17, 2024. The newly elected President and Vice President of the Court are Honorable Justice Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves from Cabo Verde and Honorable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma from Sierra Leone. They were elected on October 14, 2024. Read More »

The African Defense Ministers' Conference took place on October 15, 2024, at the Adwa Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa. The event was organized and hosted by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and aimed to address contemporary security challenges facing Africa. Read More »

Monrovia, Liberia – On October 16, 2024, the ECOWAS Commission made a donation to enhance human security in Liberia. This initiative was led by Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, the Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Liberia. The donation is part of ECOWAS's ongoing efforts to address human security challenges in both Liberia and the wider region. Read More »

The ECOWAS Peace Fund held a Technical Committee meeting on October 16, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria. The session focused on evaluating project proposals submitted for potential funding. The committee included representatives from various departments within the ECOWAS Commission, such as Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Political Affairs, Education and Science, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Legal Affairs, Budget and Treasury, Financial Reporting and Grants, Early Warning and External Relations. Read More »