Niamey, Niger, 30 May 2023. Tuesday 30 May 2023 marked the official launch of activities commemorating the ECOWAS 48th Anniversary celebration in Niger by Mr Youssouf Mohamed Almoctar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Integration in Africa. The ceremony, held at the premises of the ECOWAS Resident Representation in Niger, marked the start of the “ECOWAS Fortnight”, to be held from 29 May to 10 June 2023, during which a number of activities are to take place.

The launch of the two-week event was attended by the Minister of Communication and Institutional Relations, Mr Mahamadou Laoualy Dan Dano, the ECOWAS Resident Representative to Niger, H.E. N’dri Guillaume Gnamien, the Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Mrs Iva Denoo, the Chargée d’Affaires of the Embassy of Ghana in Niger, members of the Niger Diplomatic Corps and Heads of delegations from ECOWAS Member States resident in Niger.

The ceremony featured a special video message from the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, in which he recalled the challenges and prospects of the West African Community.

The launch of the ECOWAS 48th Anniversary celebration was followed by the kick-off of the ECOWAS Fortnight sports tournaments at the Arts Academy, with an official handball match between AS Stade and AS Laban. At the end of the match, AS Stade emerged victorious with a score of 30-23.

The Fortnight activities include:

• Professional handball (for both men and women) and petanque tournaments featuring clubs from Niger from 29 May to 9 June 2023.
• ECOWAS Village on 4 June 2023, including sporting activities between delegations from ECOWAS Member States living in Niger, cultural exhibitions and performances, as well as culinary exhibitions.
• Conference/Panel Discussion on 2 June 2023 on the theme of the ECOWAS 48th Anniversary celebration (“Towards shared prosperity”) attended by a number of experts from different sectors of the regional organisation.
• Unveiling of the ECOWAS Magazine for Niger (ECOWAS – Le Magazine +227) on 6 June 2023.
• Launch of the ECOWAS Garden on 7 June 2023: an area covering 10 hectares of land within Niamey’s green belt. The aim of the garden is to support the people of Niger in their efforts to combat the degradation of natural resources by increasing vegetation cover.
• Champions Gala Dinner on Saturday 10 June to award winners of the various tournaments and bring the ECOWAS Fortnight activities to an end.