Ad hoc ministerial session on the allocation of statutory posts within ECOWAS Institutions in Abuja
08 Oct, 2025The ad hoc ministerial session on the allocation of statutory posts within ECOWAS institutions will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, from the 7th to 8th of October 2025, to discuss the rotation and equitable distribution of statutory posts in the Community’s institutions for the period 2026–2030.
This two-day meeting brings together ministers and senior officials from Member States represented on the Committee. It is hosted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, and chaired by H.E. Ms Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria.
In his opening address, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu Touray, expressed his gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his continued leadership and support for the success of this session. He also commended the efforts of Ms Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and her team at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their contribution to the smooth organisation of the meeting.
“During this meeting, the Commission will present a memorandum establishing the framework for the allocation of statutory posts, drawn up on the basis of the provisions of the 2012 Additional Act and historical data on the distribution of posts since 1975”, explained Dr Touray.
He stressed the need for an approach based on objectivity and collective interest, and expressed the expectation that the Committee would consider the proposal in a spirit of regional solidarity.
“The Commission remains fully prepared to provide all the support and services necessary to facilitate the work of the Committee” he added.
Taking the floor in turn, the Chair of the session, H.E. Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, welcomed the delegation to Abuja and stressed the importance of this meeting in promoting the principles of equity, inclusion and regional solidarity, which are the pillars of the ECOWAS integration agenda.
“Our gathering reaffirms our shared commitment to upholding the principles of fairness, regional balance and institutional integrity in the governance of our community”, she said.
“We have a responsibility to review and evaluate proposals for the allocation of statutory positions within the ECOWAS Commission for the period 2026-2030. ”
She specified that the Committee’s mandate is to submit a report to the Council of Ministers at its statutory meetings in December 2025, for final adoption and recommendations to the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Established following a decision taken at the 94th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held in June 2025, the Ad Hoc Committee is tasked with reviewing and proposing mechanisms for the equitable distribution of statutory posts within the Commission.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended the ECOWAS Commission for the quality of its preparations and welcomed the comprehensive memorandum submitted to participants, which served as a reference document for the two days of deliberations.
“This document provides an in-depth reflection of the legal framework governing the allocation of statutory seats and will undoubtedly facilitate our discussions” she concluded.
