The ECOWAS Commission organized an interactive Brown Bag Seminar on “Geopolitics and the Blue Economy in West Africa” at its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, on 31 July 2026. The seminar explored how maritime interests, governance challenges, regional cooperation, and external influences shape peace, stability, and policy across the West African sub-region.

Opening the session, the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, emphasized that the Brown Bag Seminar initiative serves as an important platform for strengthening institutional knowledge-sharing on emerging regional issues. He noted that the initiative bridges the gap between academic scholarship and policy practice by fostering informed dialogue among ECOWAS staff and stakeholders.

Dr. Afolabi further highlighted the growing presence of external actors and foreign interests operating under the guise of development partnerships. While acknowledging that such engagements can generate employment opportunities and support infrastructure development, he cautioned that they could also become exploitative if West African countries fail to adopt a clear, coordinated strategy to protect their sovereign maritime resources and strategic interests.

The Guest Speaker Dr Ebimboere Seiyefa, Acting Head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Baze University. Abuja, provided a comprehensive historical analysis of the blue economy in West Africa, spanning the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. Her presentation examined maritime power dynamics, shipping, seaports, and the strategic importance of maritime spaces in advancing political, economic, and military interests.

Dr. Ebimboere also highlighted key challenges confronting the sector, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the activities of distant-water fishing fleets, marine pollution through toxic waste disposal, and inadequate aquaculture storage infrastructure. She underscored the vast untapped economic opportunities within the blue economy, noting that both coastal and landlocked Member States stand to benefit from stronger regional cooperation and sustainable management of maritime resources.

The inaugural  ECOWAS Brown Bag seminar ended with the presentation of a plaque by the Ag. Secretary Generaal Mr. Muazu Umar as a mark of ECOWAS‘ appreciation to Dr. Ebimboere.

The seminar brought together participants from various directorates at the ECOWAS Commission, including the Secretary General of the ECOWAS Commission, as well as Directors and staff from the Directorates of Political Affairs; Communication; Trade; External Relations; Peacekeeping and Regional Security; Early Warning; Humanitarian and Social Affairs; Energy; Infrastructure; and Environment.

Partner organisations represented included the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), and UNOWAS United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel as well as the Directorate of External Relationsand West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS).

Discussions encouraged participants to explore practical approaches for strengthening regional security, governance, and policy coordination while leveraging the strategic potential of the blue economy to promote sustainable development across West Africa.