The ECOWAS Commission hosted the 7th and final Steering Committee Meeting of the Support to ECOWAS Peace Security and Governance (EPSAO) project on May 24, 2024. The meeting aimed to share the outcomes of the project’s final evaluation, present implementation achievements and recommendations, and outline next steps towards the upcoming EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) project scheduled to commence in August 2024.
The event was attended by representatives from the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union Delegation in Nigeria, GIZ, and various civil society organizations.
Mrs. Céline Lhoste, Head of the Regional Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, expressed her gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for hosting this meeting. She highlighted ECOWAS's efforts through the EPSAO project to assist member states in strengthening mechanisms for promoting and maintaining peace and stability. Lhoste recalled security threats facing the region such as terrorism, democratic backsliding, armed conflict, and electoral violence that stakeholders need to address collectively.
Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, thanked the European Union and Germany for their efforts in improving security architecture and peace operations in the region through EPSAO. "Through the EPSAO Programme," she said, "substantial support has been provided to ECOWAS in strengthening its capacity to prevent and manage conflicts." Dr. Ugbe also noted that certain initiatives would continue into the next phase with EPSG.
The EPSAO programme has been operational since February 2019. Implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and co-funded by the European Union (EU) and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), it focuses on enhancing peace, security, and regional stability. Active stakeholders include the ECOWAS Standby Force, Female Mediator Network (FEMWISE), National Early Warning and Early Response Mechanism Centres, ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), among others.
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