The Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened its fourth meeting on December 1, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria. The session was chaired by Julius Sandy, High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Nigeria and ECOWAS. Sierra Leone currently holds the chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government for ECOWAS.
Julius Sandy opened the meeting by highlighting the PRC’s function as an advisory body to the ECOWAS Council of Ministers. “The PRC is an important advisory organ for the ECOWAS Council of Ministers,” he said.
A significant topic discussed was Guinea-Bissau’s suspension from ECOWAS after a coup d’état occurred in that country on November 28, 2025. The committee also reviewed the final report from its previous meeting.
Participants received updates from Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, and his team. These briefings covered progress on regional economic integration efforts, steps toward introducing a single currency for member states by 2027, public debt within the region, and developments in the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).
In July 2023, during a session held in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, the Council of Ministers appointed the PRC as its advisory body to reinforce its role in managing community affairs.