International
ECOWAS Faces Existential Test as Regional Bloc Moves to Rebuild Integration Framework
By Iyojo Ameh
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has acknowledged deepening challenges threatening regional integration, with the bloc’s Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) calling for urgent reforms to restore citizens’ confidence and strengthen unity among member states.
Chairman of the ECOWAS PRC, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Julius F. Sandy, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the 7th Annual Retreat of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives’ Committee in Cotonou, Benin.
Sandy said the retreat, themed “The Future of Regional Integration,” came at a critical moment in ECOWAS’ history, following political instability, security threats and growing concerns over the future of the 50-year-old regional organisation.
According to him, the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS shortly before the bloc’s 50th anniversary in 2025 represented “an existential threat” to the organisation, while the coup in Guinea-Bissau and the failed coup attempt in Benin highlighted the urgent need to review ECOWAS’ peace and security mechanisms.
“Military coups should and MUST now be relegated to the past,” Sandy declared, stressing that ECOWAS must find ways to make both military and constitutional disruptions of democratic order unattractive in the region.
He challenged member states to confront two fundamental questions: “Where have we gone wrong?” and “What is it that we must do differently?”
The ECOWAS PRC Chairman said the survival and relevance of the organisation depended on bold decisions, effective implementation and renewed commitment to regional unity.
“After 50 years of progress and drawbacks, it is only fitting that we go back to the boardroom, to re-engineer, rebuild and re-invigorate the Community we all want to have,” he said.
Sandy envisioned an ECOWAS that is economically stronger, knowledge-driven, competitive globally, transparent in governance and capable of speaking with one voice on international issues.
He said the future ECOWAS should be “a Community with a single currency, a Community that is knowledge-based, a Community that is competitive in the wider global community, and a Community that is rules-based rather than guided by arbitrary use of instruments and power.”
The three-day retreat is expected to examine a draft Compact for the Future of Regional Integration, which will serve as a roadmap for repositioning ECOWAS.
The discussions will focus on six key areas: peace and security; constitutionalism and governance; partnerships and alliances; regional economic integration; science, technology and the digital future; and youth, women, future generations and social inclusion.
Sandy said the proposed Compact would reinforce West Africa’s determination to “speak and act with one voice” while ensuring that the region’s future is shaped by the aspirations of its people.
He noted that the success of ECOWAS should not only be measured by policies adopted by leaders but by the tangible impact those policies have on citizens’ lives.
“The success of ECOWAS is not measured solely by the policies we adopt but also, and more importantly, by the impact of those policies on the lives of the citizens,” he said.
The PRC Chairman urged participants to approach the retreat with a sense of urgency, describing it as a defining moment for the future of regional integration.
“Let it be business unusual as we take the next giant step into the future. Let us be decisive and remain steadfast in our resolve to build the Community that works well for us,” he said.
Sandy also recalled the words of ECOWAS Chairman and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, urging participants to ensure history records that West Africa chose “unity, renewal and collective courage” at a time of uncertainty.
The retreat is being attended by members of the ECOWAS PRC, officials of the ECOWAS Commission and other regional stakeholders.
