CELEBRATION OF ECOWAS’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN LOMÉ: A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TOWARDS REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The Permanent Representation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Togolese Republic, in collaboration with the ECOWAS agencies and institutions based in the country as well as the ECOWAS National Office, organised, on Saturday 11 April 2026 in Lomé, a commemorative ceremony marking the Organisation’s 50th anniversary.

Held on the esplanade of the Lomé Convention Centre, this celebration, presided over by the Minister of Finance and the Budget of the Togolese Republic, Mr Essowè Georges Barcola, was attended by senior officials of the Togolese Republic, members of the accredited diplomatic and consular corps, as well as technical and financial partners.

As part of the 50th-anniversary commemorative activities, this event brought together nearly 800 participants, residing in Togo and hailing from ECOWAS member states (Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo). It featured parades and exhibitions highlighting the cultural diversity and tourism potential of the Community.

In her address, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Togo, Her Excellency Ms Deweh Emily Gray, highlighted the major achievements made by the Community since 1975, particularly in the areas of free movement, economic integration and the consolidation of regional peace and security, whilst calling for continued efforts to address persistent challenges. She further reaffirmed the Commission’s strategic direction through Vision 2050, which aims to establish an inclusive, prosperous and resilient ‘ECOWAS of the People’, before announcing that the culmination of the 50th-anniversary celebrations would take place in Lomé in May 2026.

On behalf of the Togolese Government, the Minister of Finance and the Budget commended the progress made by ECOWAS in terms of regional integration and cooperation among Member States. Paying tribute to the Organisation’s founding fathers, he highlighted ECOWAS’s central role as a pillar of stability, solidarity and development in West Africa. He also expressed the hope that this 50th anniversary would mark a new stage in the consolidation of a stronger, more inclusive Community, focused on shared prosperity.

The ceremony also featured speeches by local authorities, notably the representative of the Golfe 4 municipality, who highlighted the contribution of local authorities to the promotion of regional integration at the local level.

On the sidelines of the event, ECOWAS institutions and agencies based in Togo, notably the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), the Development Project Preparation Unit (DPPU) and the Brown Card System, presented their activities and achievements through exhibition stands, illustrating their contribution to the implementation of the Community’s mandate.