On June 24 and 25, 2024, a meeting of Customs Directors General from member states of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo) was held in Lomé, Togo. The purpose was to discuss the deployment of the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT). This meeting was organized under the auspices of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme Task Force and follows recommendations from a high-level ministerial meeting in Cotonou held from October 3 to 5, 2023. The aim is to address obstacles to trade along the corridor. Read More »

Pursuant to the decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in 2014 to adopt the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as an official travel document to replace the hand-written ECOWAS Travel Certificate, the ECOWAS Commission through the Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Migration embarked on an advocacy and sensitization campaign in Member States to popularize the ENBIC. Read More »

The Directorate of Transport of the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the Directorates of Trade, Customs & Taxation and Free Movement, coordinated a technical workshop to review and validate the Interim Report on the Trade and Transport Facilitation Study of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway in Lomé, Togo from June 27 to 29, 2024. Read More »

The thirty-fifth meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was officially opened on June 28, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria. This five-day meeting will engage key stakeholders in discussions to address administrative and financial matters critical to the functioning and sustainability of the ECOWAS community. Read More »

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened an extraordinary meeting of Ministers of Defence and Ministers of Finance on 27 June 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria. The meeting was based on directives from the Authority of Heads of State and Government, aiming to explore funding options for activating a regional force to combat terrorism and restore constitutional order. Read More »

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., of Liberia has held separate meetings with the leadership of Liberian refugees residing at Buduburam Camp and Liberian students attending the Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra, Ghana. Read More »

Acting Governor Tasha Harris has issued the Writ of Election for the upcoming bye-election scheduled for Wednesday, 14 August 2024. The Writ confirms the deadline for receiving nominations to elect a new member to fill the vacant seat on the Legislative Council. Read More »

His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, has urged graduates of the Regional Maritime University to be disciplined, focused, hardworking, and prayerful in their pursuits if they are to achieve success. President Boakai delivered these remarks as the Commencement Speaker and Chief Guest of Honor at the 18th Graduation Ceremony of the Regional Maritime University in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, June 29, 2024. Read More »

The ECOWAS Commission, through the Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, organized a three-day capacity-building workshop from June 26 to June 28, 2024, for the ECOWAS Protection and Human Security Integrated Coordination Mechanisms (ECO-PHSICM). The event was supported by the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre (NCCRM), under the Office of the Vice President of The Gambia. The workshop aimed to review progress since ECO-PHSICM's establishment in 2021 and develop an action plan for its implementation from 2024 to 2026. Read More »

His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, addressed graduates of the Regional Maritime University, urging them to maintain discipline, focus, hard work, and prayerfulness in their pursuits. Speaking as Commencement Speaker and Chief Guest of Honor at the 18th Graduation Ceremony in Accra, Ghana on June 29, 2024, President Boakai emphasized the importance of character and determination for achieving success beyond academic accomplishments. Read More »

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has received the Cross-Party Initiative Committee’s report on the Electoral Systems and Management Bodies Review, assuring his government’s commitment to fully implementing its recommendations. Read More »

The Register of Electors effective from 1 July 2024 has been published in an Extraordinary Gazette. This register will be used for the forthcoming bye-election. Read More »

The first ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2024 officially commenced on July 1, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria. In her inaugural address, H.E. Mrs. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, the new Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, called for enhanced collaboration to improve integration among ECOWAS institutions and Member States. The event was attended by H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission; Presidents or Representatives of other ECOWAS institutions; Representatives of the Presidents of the Senate and National Assembly of Nigeria; and various dignitaries. Read More »

"African youth, innovation and entrepreneurship: building a sustainable future." This will be the main theme of the 2nd edition of the Forum for African Research and Innovation (FARI), to be held in Benin from May 5 to 9, 2025. This decision was taken at the meeting of the International Committee for the preparation of this event, which concluded on June 28, 2024, in Cotonou, Benin's economic capital. Read More »

The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub convened a landmark Partnership Summit on June 24, 2024, at the Abuja Continental Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. The event, themed “Collaborating for Enhanced Food Security in Nigeria-Fostering Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Resilience,” brought together Trade Hub grantees, private-sector experts, government representatives, industry leaders, and agro-focused associations to share experiences and lessons learned from Trade Hub co-investment projects. This was particularly significant considering challenges such as the... Read More »

Several families affected by floods in Sierra Leone in 2022 have received humanitarian assistance from the ECOWAS Commission amounting to $690,719. Read More »

In 2022, Guinea-Bissau experienced significant damage from natural disasters, including violent winds and floods. These events severely impacted the agricultural sector and infrastructure, particularly housing, leading to serious food security issues. Read More »

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has signed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 into law at the Freetown International Conference Center in Aberdeen, Freetown. The legislation aims to prohibit child marriage and provide protection for victims. Read More »

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has received credentials from four newly accredited ambassadors and a high commissioner. The ceremony, held at the State House in Freetown on Thursday, 4 July 2024, underscored the government's ongoing commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. Read More »

State House, Freetown, Thursday 4 July 2024 – His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio presided over the oath-taking ceremony of the new Deputy Minister of Energy. During the event, the Deputy Minister assured his "unflinching determination to deliver" on energy-related goals. Read More »