The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will officially launch its 50th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
The ceremony is expected to be graced by Heads of State and Government, alongside Ministers and other dignitaries, according to a statement issued by the ECOWAS Commission.
Key highlights of the launch will include the unveiling of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee logo and theme, as well as artistic performances reflecting the bloc’s journey and milestones over the past five decades.
This event will kick off a year-long series of commemorative activities to be held across ECOWAS Member States, as endorsed by the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government. The outlined programme of events received approval from the ECOWAS Administrative and Financial Committee during a virtual meeting in February 2025.
Founded on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, ECOWAS was established to foster economic integration and collective self-reliance among West African countries. Originally comprising 15 nations, the bloc welcomed Cabo Verde in 1977, while Mauritania withdrew in 2000 but signed an association agreement in 2017. In January 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially withdrew from ECOWAS.
The current Member States include Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Recognised as a cornerstone of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS fosters regional cooperation across key sectors such as transport, energy, agriculture, and trade. The region’s collective GDP stands at $734.8 billion.
In 2007, the ECOWAS Secretariat was restructured into a Commission to strengthen leadership and strategic oversight. The institution is headed by a President, Vice-President, five Commissioners, and an Auditor General.
ECOWAS is primarily funded through a 0.5% community levy on imports from non-Member States. Its programmes aim to deepen integration, eliminate barriers, and advance its 2050 vision of transforming from an “ECOWAS of States” to an “ECOWAS of Peoples,” committed to peace and shared prosperity.
— GNA
