The president of the ECOWAS Commission participated in the opening of the first ordinary session of the year 2025 of the ECOWAS Parliament.

The 1st ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament for the year 2025 opened on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, in the presence of several dignitaries including the members of the 6th legislature, the Presidents of ECOWAS institutions, the President of the Nigerian Senate, accredited members of the diplomatic corps, and partners. The opening ceremony of this session was marked by the swearing-in of new parliamentarians from Senegal and Guinea-Bissau.

After expressing her gratitude to H.E. Bola Ahmed TINUBU, President of Nigeria and current President of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, H.E. Madame Hadja Mémounatou IBRAHIMA, President of the ECOWAS Parliament, focused her speech on issues related to integration and community life as well as the challenges to be faced by the ECOWAS parliament, which will be 25 years old on November 16, 2025. Following her, the President of the ECOWAS Commission recalled the context marked by two major events at the opening of this session: the complete withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS and the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of ECOWAS.

President Omar Alieu TOURAY brought to the attention of the parliamentarians that in accordance with the decisions of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers took place from April 22 to 23, 2025, in Accra, Ghana, to examine the emergency withdrawal plan for the three Sahel countries. At the end of this session, the Council decided to adopt a comprehensive negotiation plan for all ECOWAS member states, including a strategic direction for the negotiations. It also specified that direct discussions with the three countries regarding the negotiation methodology would begin this week. He also reminded that for ECOWAS, the separation of the three countries should not be at the expense of the citizens of the community.

Regarding the celebration of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee, the President of the ECOWAS Commission mentioned that it is: “a moment of reflection and introspection on the achievements and perspectives of the institution. For this reason, a summit on the future of West Africa will be organized soon so that member states can agree on an accord for the future of the Community. This summit will be preceded by a series of discussions and reflections carried out by various stakeholders within the community and beyond.”

Finally, the President of the ECOWAS Commission invited the ECOWAS parliamentarians to initiate a debate on the issue of Artificial Intelligence, the negative impacts of which, if not addressed, could harm and compromise the future of the youth in our member states. The parliamentary session, which began on May 20 in Abuja, will end on May 31, 2025.