The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Africa Agenda Network (AAN) as part of efforts to document, promote and deepen public understanding of the regional bloc’s five decades of achievements and contributions to West African integration.
The renewed commitment was made on Tuesday, 4 August, 2026, when the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, received the Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Agenda Network, Ms. Muna Jallow, during a working visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting focused on the progress of the Africa Agenda Network–ECOWAS Strategic Partnership Initiative, a three-phase programme designed to commemorate ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary while strengthening citizens’ appreciation of the organisation’s role in advancing regional cooperation.
Briefing the Commission President, Jallow said the initiative’s first phase had been successfully implemented through the ECOWAS@50 Trade, Investment and Exhibition Forum held in Lagos, Nigeria.
She disclosed that attention has now shifted to the second phase—the production of a commemorative publication documenting the history of ECOWAS over the past 50 years, highlighting its major milestones, achievements and contributions to regional integration.
According to her, the final phase of the initiative will see the production of a high-quality documentary series that will tell the ECOWAS story through the voices and experiences of citizens from across the organisation’s member states.
Responding, Touray welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the ECOWAS Commission’s commitment to sustaining and expanding its partnership with the Africa Agenda Network.
He said the collaboration would play a vital role in increasing public awareness of ECOWAS, preserving its institutional history and projecting the organisation’s achievements and impact across West Africa and the international community.
The partnership comes as ECOWAS marks 50 years since its establishment in 1975, a period during which the regional body has played leading roles in promoting economic integration, facilitating free movement across member states, supporting democratic governance and peacekeeping efforts, and advancing regional development initiatives despite persistent political and security challenges.
The commemorative publication and documentary are expected to serve as enduring records of the bloc’s evolution while helping a new generation of West Africans better understand the relevance of regional integration to the future of the sub-region.
