SENSITISATION IN MEMBER STATES: ECOWAS INTERACTS WITH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITÉ FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE ON VISION 2050

The ECOWAS Commission through the Office of the Vice President has organised a sensitisation with interactions in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on the ECOWAS Vision 2050 with the National Assembly of the Republic and students of the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny from April 27 to 28, 2026, as part of sensitisation in all Member States on the 2050 Vision.

The Vision 2050 “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity for All” is aimed at “A fully integrated Community of peoples, living in a peaceful and prosperous region, with strong institutions and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, striving for inclusive and sustainable development”

Her Excellency Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by Mme Fathmah Diarre Mahan, Ag. Resident Representative of ECOWAS to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, highlighted that the ECOWAS Vision 2050 provides a long-term roadmap for building a peaceful, prosperous, and people-centred West Africa, building on the gains of Vision 2020. It is anchored on five key pillars: peace and security, democratic governance and rule of law, deeper economic integration, inclusive and sustainable development focused on human capital, and a community driven by its people through inclusion and social cohesion.

The Vice President noted that the success of the vision will depend on integrating cross-cutting priorities such as gender equality, youth empowerment, digital transformation, climate action, and capacity building. While notable progress has been made in regional integration, governance, and stability, achieving Vision 2050 will require strong collective commitment, with national parliaments playing a critical role in supporting implementation and ensuring alignment with regional objectives.

In his opening statement at the Parliament, H.E. Patrick Achi, the President of the National Assembly, represented by H.E. Hon Adom Kacou Léon, the Chairman of the Committee on External Relation of the National Assembly of Cote d’Ivoire, underscored the significance of the

parliamentary seminar on ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Early Warning and Response System as a key moment in strengthening regional integration and cooperation. He highlighted ECOWAS’s evolution from its founding in 1975 through Vision 2020 to the adoption of Vision 2050, which aspires to build an “ECOWAS of Peoples” grounded in peace, security, prosperity, and inclusion.

“The ECOWAS Vision 2050 is not just a projection of the future, but an act of confidence in our collective capacity to transform the present, grounded in the simple truth that our destinies, our security, and our prosperity are shared”, he added.

The ECOWAS delegation also held an interactive session with the students of the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan on the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Early Earning System.