On 1 September 2026, Dr Kalilou Sylla became the Commissioner for Internal Affairs of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for the 2026 – 2030 term. An Ivorian economist, he has more than 28 years of experience shaping regional economic, agricultural and trade policies, leading institutional reforms, and coordinating regional integration programmes.

With a PhD in Economics (1997) and a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in Economics (1995), he combines a strong academic foundation with extensive specialised training in the administrative and financial procedures of ECOWAS, the European Union and other international institutions. His expertise encompasses administrative and financial management, organisational reform, resource mobilisation and institutional certification, equipping him with a strong understanding of the systems and processes that underpin effective regional governance.

Throughout his career, Kalilou Sylla has held a series of senior positions within ECOWAS and the Ivorian Government. His roles have included ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture (2025–2026), Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (2023–2025), Chief of Staff at the Ministry of African Integration (2020–2022), and National Secretary of the National Commission for the African Peer Review Mechanism (2015–2022).

He has also held senior leadership roles, including Executive Secretary of ROPPA (2012–2015), Acting Executive Director of PAFO (2013–2015) and Deputy Director of the Ivorian Centre for Economic and Social Research (2000–2003). In these positions, he led major reforms and secured funding to support agricultural producers across West Africa. His experience also includes leading international trade negotiations through the WTO, Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), coordinating programmes and research projects funded by the European Union, the World Bank, IFAD and AFD and representing the region at continental and global forums.

Academically, he has been a lecturer and researcher at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan since 1997, where he specialises in development economics, economic finance and the performance of regional organisations. His research and publications explore key issues including corruption, youth in West Africa, regional integration and agricultural growth in Africa. His work has been published by leading academic publishers, including L’Harmattan and Karthala, as well as in international journals.

A polyglot, he is fluent in French and English, with strong reading, speaking and writing skills in both languages, has a good command of Spanish and some knowledge of Portuguese. His distinguished career has earned him significant institutional and academic recognition, including the ranks of Officer of the Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit (2025), Officer of the Ivorian Order of Merit (2019), and excellence awards in economics and research from the University of Abidjan (1998 and 2000).

Kalilou Sylla is a recognised expert in regional integration, economic governance and agricultural development in West Africa. Through his political roles, academic work and publications, he contributes to stronger institutions and sustainable socio-economic development across the ECOWAS region.