President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to match bold policies with decisive implementation, declaring that the regional bloc must now translate its half-century legacy into tangible impact for its people—especially the youth and women who make up the majority of its population.
Delivering a keynote address at the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS in Lagos on Wednesday, President Tinubu, who serves as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, acknowledged the organisation’s many milestones in regional integration, trade liberalisation, peacekeeping, and democratic governance. However, he asserted that the next phase must be defined by accelerated implementation and deliberate investments in the region’s human capital.
“We are lagging behind on implementation, and I urge all member states to match policy with action,” Tinubu said. “Let our citizens feel the real impact of our shared efforts.”
The most resounding theme of Tinubu’s address was a rallying call for youth empowerment and leadership succession in West Africa. Emphasising that young people and women are not just the future but the present drivers of regional progress, Tinubu stressed the need to invest in their education, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
“We must mentor them. Their success is the key to the future and stability and prosperity of ECOWAS,” he said. “We want to hand a banner without stain to you—the youth of West Africa.”
Tinubu’s appeal signaled a generational shift in tone, positioning ECOWAS not only as a legacy of past leaders, but as a vehicle for a new era of inclusive growth and opportunity.
The president also paid homage to the bloc’s founding fathers—including General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former head of state and the only surviving pioneer of the 1975 treaty—as well as past ECOWAS presidents and staff who built the framework for regional unity and cooperation.
He hailed the body’s achievements in uniting Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone nations, pioneering free movement across borders, and establishing regional instruments like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Yet, despite these gains, Tinubu acknowledged that the challenges of security, food crisis, and implementation gaps continue to test the bloc’s resilience.
“Our greatest challenge now is implementation. The work of integration is never done. Each generation must carry the flame forward,” he added.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s continued leadership role in West Africa, Tinubu pledged to sustain technical assistance and regional capacity-building through Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps.
“For nearly 40 years, Nigeria has supported regional capacity building. We remain committed to deploy skilled professionals to ECOWAS countries,” he affirmed.
He also endorsed ECOWAS’s ongoing efforts in regional security, counter-terrorism, digital transformation, and agricultural reform, referencing the ECOWAS Infrastructure Master Plan 2020–2045 and digital initiatives like Ecogo.
Tinubu concluded with a stirring call to reimagine a borderless, prosperous, and peaceful West Africa—one where no child is denied opportunity based on geography, and where shared destiny triumphs over division.
“Let us imagine a West Africa where our economies thrive through joint effort… where our people, diverse yet bound by destiny, work together towards peace, prosperity and justice,” he said.
“This Golden Jubilee is not merely a celebration of the past, but a summons to shape the future.”
Chioma Kalu
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