Abuja, Nigeria, 31 August 2026: The ECOWAS Commission has  held a formal welcome and send-off ceremony for incoming and outgone statutory appointees and Heads of ECOWAS Institutions  following the completion of the outgone leadership’s four-year tenure. During the event, His Excellency,  General Birame DIOP of Senegal officially assumed office as  the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, succeeding H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY of The Gambia. H.E. Mr. Anthony OGUNJIMI of Nigeria also succeeded H.E. Mrs. Damtien TCHINTCHIBIDJA of Togo as Vice President.

Held at the Commission’s new headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, the ceremony included the unveiling of the ECOWAS@50 Special Exclusive Publication by Africa Agenda Network in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, the symbolic presentation of the Management Performance Compendium to the incoming President, and the signing of handover notes by the outgone and incoming Presidents, Vice Presidents, and statutory appointees.

Other  Incoming  statutory appointees are :  Dr. Kalilou SYLLA (Côte d’Ivoire) Commissioner for Internal Services; Mrs. Francess AALGHALI (ierra Leone), Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Mr. Dehpue Yenpea ZUO (Liberia), Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture; Mr. Amin Amidu SULEMANI ( Ghana) , Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation; Prof. Nassirou BAKO-ARIFARI (Benin), Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs; Ms. Carla Maria Borges BETTENCOURT (Cabo Verde), Auditor-General for ECOWAS Institutions; Dr. Palokinam PITCHE  (Togo) , Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO); and Mr. Mam Cherno JALLOW, Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

The outgone statutory appointees are : Dr. Habibu BAPPAH, Commission for Internal Services; Dr. Kalilou SYLLA (Ivory Coast), Commissioner, Economic Affairs and Agriculture; Prof. Fatou Sow SARR (Senegal) , Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs; Mr. Joao Alage Mamadu FADIA (Guinea-Bissau) , Auditor-General for ECOWAS Institutions; and Dr. Melchior AÏSSI ( Benin Republic),  West African Health  Organisation (WAHO).In his farewell address, the outgone  President, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and reflected on the achievements of his four-year tenure, stressing that the outgoing leadership was leaving behind “not only memories, speeches and decisions” but also “a record” of institutional and regional accomplishments.

In his inaugural address, the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Retired General Birame DIOP, called for renewed unity, solidarity and mutual respect as the foundation for advancing regional integration and strengthening the effectiveness of the ECOWAS Commission. He urged staff and stakeholders to work collectively to build a united, cohesive and efficient institution capable of responding to the aspirations and challenges of the West African region.

“My solemn appeal to all of you is to make way for unity and solidarity, based on mutual respect,” he said, stressing that the strength of regional integration would be measured by the Community’s collective ability to remain united and purposeful. “A new chapter has been opened for West African integration. Let us work together to make it a chapter of peace, dignity and shared prosperity,” he declared.

“Beyond the challenges facing the regional integration process in West Africa, it is incumbent upon us to strive for the unity of our Member States and communities, because it is both right and good to do so. We must therefore maintain and develop open channels of communication with all entities and organizations within our region, including our brothers in the Alliance of Sahel States.”

“Because challenges know no borders, we must continue to collectively explore all avenues to achieve pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation. This cooperation must be maintained and developed on issues of common and highly strategic interest: security, connectivity, the movement of people, cross-border projects, and so on. Nothing should prevent us from working together for the unity of our peoples and their well-being.”

In his remarks, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola ENIKANOLAIYE, called on the new leadership of the ECOWAS Commission to place a strong emphasis on the effective implementation of regional programmes and projects that deliver tangible, measurable and lasting results. He stressed that ECOWAS must remain focused on initiatives that improve the lives and livelihoods of Community citizens, strengthen regional integration and contribute meaningfully to peace, security and sustainable development across West Africa.

“For Nigeria, ECOWAS must continue to justify the huge investments and sacrifices that have been made, not just by the government and people of Nigeria, including through the payment of the Community Levy, but also by other Member States in the sub-region to sustain the Organisation,” he said.

Ambassador ENIKANOLAIYE reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS and its efforts to deepen regional cooperation, noting that the effectiveness and relevance of the

Community will ultimately be measured by its ability to translate its policies, programmes and collective commitments into concrete improvements in the lives of West Africans.

As ECOWAS moves into a new phase under its new leadership, the call is clear: regional integration must move beyond commitments to measurable results. By strengthening cooperation, delivering on priority programmes and keeping the needs of Community citizens at the heart of its work, ECOWAS can renew confidence in the regional project and reaffirm its enduring promise of a more peaceful, connected, prosperous and united West Africa.