The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, hosted Dr. Lars van Dassen, Executive Director of the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja on May 2, 2025. The visit aimed to foster dialogue on regional capacity building and strategic governance frameworks for using high-impact technologies, including nuclear science.
Dr. van Dassen was joined by a delegation from WINS, highlighting their commitment to working with West African institutions on safety and regulatory strengthening across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and energy.
President Touray welcomed the delegation and emphasized ECOWAS’s role in supporting innovation aligned with regional development priorities. “We must ensure that the region is equipped to govern the technologies shaping our future—securely, transparently, and with citizen wellbeing at the core,” he stated.
The meeting included senior ECOWAS officials such as Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethom and General Mactar Diop. Their participation underscored the initiative’s importance to regional security and sustainable development.
Discussions centered on cooperation in training, regulatory dialogue, institutional preparedness, and raising awareness about managing sensitive technologies safely. This partnership aligns with ECOWAS Vision 2050’s goals of resilience and innovation for a peaceful West Africa.
ECOWAS expressed its readiness to collaborate with WINS in building capacities necessary for scientific advancement that benefits public welfare and supports Africa’s development agenda.
