The first Sahel Governance Forum began on July 30, 2025, in Banjul, The Gambia. The event is being held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre and focuses on the theme of rebuilding social cohesion and public trust in West Africa.
Gambian President Adama Barrow opened the forum by highlighting its importance for governance in the region. “The Gambia is proud to host this important forum and to ensure that the benefits of lasting peace and inclusive growth are available to all Sahelians,” he said.
Key figures attending include former Nigerian President Goodluck E. Jonathan, former interim Malian President Dioncounda Traoré, and ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray.
Speaking for ECOWAS institutions, Touray thanked The Gambia as well as supporting organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, and IDEA International for organizing the event. He stated: “The Forum is taking place at a particularly crucial moment when the security and governance landscape of the Sahel is undergoing profound changes. By many counts this forum provides a unique opportunity to share perspectives, foster meaningful dialogue, and co-create solutions for advancing a renewed governance agenda that prioritizes social cohesion and public trust across the Sahel region, and beyond.”
Touray also pointed out that about 70 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are part of ECOWAS’s community despite these countries’ official withdrawal from the organization. He explained that both ECOWAS and these states have agreed that citizens will continue to benefit from regional integration efforts such as free movement of people and goods until new agreements are reached. There is also an agreement to cooperate on counter-terrorism measures.
“It is in this context that we eagerly await the results of this forum, which I am confident will include innovative strategies to strengthen social cohesion and relations between citizens and the state, as well as to advance governance through stronger democratic institutions that will promote accountability, discipline and the achievement of results,” added Touray.
The Sahel Governance Forum aims to create a high-level platform involving multiple stakeholders focused on holistic approaches tailored to local realities. More than 200 participants—including political leaders, policymakers, civil society representatives, youth groups, women’s organizations, development partners, technical experts, private sector actors, community leaders from within and outside the Sahel—are attending. The goal is to encourage sharing experiences and ideas while monitoring commitments made toward addressing governance challenges in West Africa.