Communication officers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, its institutions, and agencies have finalized a new Inter-Institutional Communication Strategy for 2026–2030, along with an updated Information and Communication Policy. The strategy aims to provide a structured approach to communicating ECOWAS’s vision, mandate, priorities, and achievements throughout West Africa. It aligns with ECOWAS Vision 2050 and emphasizes communication as essential for citizen engagement, institutional credibility, and regional integration.
The Information and Communication Policy is intended to standardize communication practices across ECOWAS bodies, promote the use of diverse channels, and strengthen both internal and external information flows among institutions, specialized agencies, country representations, and member states. Both documents were completed during a technical validation workshop held in Cotonou, Benin Republic from February 23 to 27, 2026. They will be submitted to the President of the Commission and heads of ECOWAS institutions for approval before implementation.
The workshop was organized by the Directorate of Communication at the ECOWAS Commission with support from the Government of Germany. It brought together communication focal points from various ECOWAS entities to review draft documents for alignment with institutional priorities and Vision 2050. Participants incorporated technical input and built consensus needed for adoption across all organs.
Delivering a goodwill message at the event, Ms Rike SOHN, Acting Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Benin Republic, reaffirmed Germany’s ongoing partnership with ECOWAS: “Strong institutions require strong communication. In today’s environment marked by rapid transformation and growing information challenges, communication is central to legitimacy, trust and public service delivery. By strengthening strategic communication capacities, aligning formats and templates and building awareness on ethical digital practices, participants in this validation workshop are contributing directly to a more transparent, credible and citizen-oriented-ECOWAS,” SOHN said.
In his closing remarks at the workshop, Mr Joel AHOFODJI, Director of Communication at ECOWAS Commission, thanked President H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY for his support during development of these documents. He also acknowledged contributions from communication focal points and GIZ.
President H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY was represented by Senior Adviser Mr Abdoulie GASSAMA during discussions at the workshop. He emphasized that these efforts are designed to strengthen visibility for ECOWAS initiatives across West Africa while enhancing stakeholder engagement: “Recognising the rapidly evolving communication landscape and the growing influence of digital technologies, artificial intelligence and data-driven engagement, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Communications Directorate, has developed a comprehensive Communication Strategy for 2026–2030 alongside a revised Information and Communication Policy for ECOWAS Institutions. The successful finalisation of the two documents represents a critical and final milestone in this process,” TOURAY stated.
Dr TOURAY further commended those involved in developing these policies for their dedication.
According to information on the official website, ECOWAS seeks to advance cooperation among member states through harmonized policies in sectors such as trade, transport, agriculture, infrastructure development—efforts that aim to boost living standards across twelve West African countries while promoting stability throughout the region. The commission is led by a president supported by vice presidents and commissioners (source). To improve accessibility and transparency about its activities—including policy harmonization efforts—ECOWAS launched a multilingual website in 2022 (source).
With these new strategic documents finalized pending approval from leadership bodies within ECOWAS institutions—and drawing on partnerships such as that with Germany—the organization continues steps toward greater coherence in its communications work regionally.