The Gambian Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, expressed his belief that intra-regional trade could create markets, stimulate industrial growth, and generate job opportunities for West African citizens. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 4th Annual General Meeting of the Trade Promotion Organizations (TPO) Network of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Banjul, Gambia, he emphasized the importance of regional efforts to boost trade in West Africa. Read More »

Two development applications have been referred to the Executive Council sitting as the Planning Authority, in accordance with the Direction to the Chief Planning Officer by Executive Council dated 14 June 2022. Read More »

The Directorate of Financial Reporting and Grants conducted a three-day staff retreat from July 9 to 11 in Kano, Nigeria. The event aimed to foster team building, collaboration, and communication within the Directorate to improve performance. Read More »

Over the years, ECOWAS Member States have initiated policies and legal frameworks to address migration management, border delimitation, security, and development of border regions. Many countries have established or strengthened National Boundary Commissions with border governance responsibilities. However, there is a real challenge in terms of strengthening synergies, the articulation of scale between actors, and the coordination of cross-border initiatives—a role that ECOWAS can validly play. It is against this background that the Directorate of Free Movement of Persons of... Read More »

The Vice President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Her Excellency Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, attended the International Congress on Conflict Mediation and Peace Building in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on July 16 and 17, 2024. Organized by the Women for Africa Foundation and the United Nations Alliance for Civilizations, the event emphasized women’s crucial role in peacebuilding. Read More »

Since the establishment of the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy (EIMS) in 2014, the operationalization of the ECOWAS Maritime Coordination Centres (EMCCs) across maritime zones E, F, and G, as well as the West Africa Regional Maritime Coordination Centre (CRESMAO), has significantly contributed to reducing piracy and sea robbery incidents in the ECOWAS Maritime Domain (EMD). Despite these successes, the EMCCs face challenges that undermine their efficiency, such as unclear status, staffing issues, and funding constraints. As part of efforts to accelerate proper... Read More »

On July 15, 2024, the ECOWAS Commission commenced a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, focused on revising the Supplementary Act on personal data protection and building capacity for data harmonisation and cross-border data flows. The workshop, hosted by the ECOWAS Commission, saw participation from representatives of Member States' ministries responsible for ICT and the digital economy, Data Protection Authorities, the African Union, the European Union, DPSE, and GIZ. Read More »

The Network of Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold its 4th Annual General Meeting from July 16 to 18, 2024, in Banjul, The Gambia. Read More »

A second meeting of the Police and Crime Panel is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, 2024, from 14:30 to 16:00. The meeting will be held at the Education Learning Centre in Jamestown. Read More »

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. of Liberia received Letters of Credence from six Ambassadors at the Executive Mansion on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. The presentation signifies recognition of Liberia's leadership in the international community. Read More »

State House, Freetown, Thursday 18 July 2024 – His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio addressed the Development Partnership Committee (DEPAC) meeting, reiterating his commitment to global peace and security and making democracy purposeful in the region. He also reminded attendees of Sierra Leone’s forthcoming presidency at the United Nations Security Council from August 2024 to 2025. Read More »

Jason Scharfman, the Chief Compliance Officer of Corgentum Consulting, stated it is "urgent" for the Nigerian government to release Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance employee detained since February, due to Gambaryan's deteriorating health. Scharfman shared his statement in a July 16 post on X after Gambaryan appeared in Nigerian court in a wheelchair. Read More »

With the implementation of regional counter-terrorism measures and the need to engage other non-kinetic methods in the fight against violent extremism, the Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya, an Islamic organization with a global network, is seeking to collaborate with ECOWAS on organizing a regional conference on security and governance. Read More »

In conjunction with the African Union, the ECOWAS Commission is working with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to advance the cause of youth, peace, and security in West Africa. This collaboration aims to enable young people to understand the Youth for Peace (Y4P) agenda and develop their National Action Plans. Read More »

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Receives Letters of Credence From Seven Ambassadors Read More »

The Statistics Office has released new estimates of the Retail Price Index (RPI) and the annual inflation rate for the second quarter of 2024. The RPI was measured at 117.3, up from 115.3 in Q2 2023, resulting in an annual inflation rate of 1.8%. This rate remains unchanged from the previous quarter. Read More »

On July 11, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, presented the general report on the state of implementation of the Community’s 2024 work programme to the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria. This presentation followed the opening of debates by the President of the Parliament, H.E. Mrs. Memouna-tou Ibrahima, in accordance with Article 32 of the Additional Act relating to the reinforcement of the prerogatives of the ECOWAS Parliament. The act stipulates that “At each ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament, the President of the Commission shall... Read More »

Recently, the Health and Social Care Portfolio (HSC) issued a letter updating patients identified for overseas medical referral on the status of their referrals. However, some recipients have misunderstood the contents of this letter, leading to miscommunication in the public domain. The HSC aims to address these concerns and provide an update on overseas medical referrals. Read More »

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has reaffirmed ECOWAS' determination and commitment to strengthening its ongoing partnership with UNIDO, particularly in the areas of industrialization and regional integration. This statement was made on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the ECOWAS Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria during a meeting with Ms. Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations. Read More »

The primary and secondary schools on the island will be hosting their annual Open Day next week. All parents, guardians, carers, and members of the public are invited to attend. Read More »