The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Peace Fund organized a workshop focused on the implementation, capitalisation, and lessons learned from the fourth generation of the Support Programme to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA IV). The event took place from November 27 to 28, 2025, at Zuma Rock Resort in Niger State, Nigeria.
Participants included representatives from ECOWAS, other Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and the African Union Commission (AUC). The APSA SP is a collaborative effort among several organizations and was funded by the European Union through the AUC. For APSA IV, which ran from 2020 to 2025, ECOWAS received an allocation of 2.89 million euros from the EU.
The program aimed to improve conflict cycle management within West Africa. According to organizers, these efforts led to advances in early warning systems and coordination among stakeholders. The engagement included collaboration with civil society organizations, youth groups, and children.
At the end of the workshop, participants conducted an assessment of APSA-IV’s performance over five years. They analyzed achievements against strategic objectives and identified both strengths and challenges encountered during implementation.
The workshop produced a summary of best practices and priority areas for improvement. Organizers said these findings will inform the next phase: “These insights will directly inform the design and execution of its successor initiative, the Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) Support Programme which will kick off in January 2026, ensuring continuity, strengthened impact, and a more effective response to emerging peace and security needs across the continent.”