Foreign Affairs and Finance Ministers of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are set to witness the official launch of the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary celebrations today, April 22, 2025.
The event which will be held at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC), will set the tone for a couple of deliberations as it recognizes the collective impact made by member states over the past five decades.
Dealings for the two-day ceremony will include the review by the Authority of Heads of State of a comprehensive report prepared by the ministers, and also a deliberations on the recent withdrawal of of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—collectively known as the Alliance of Sahelian States—from ECOWAS.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a previous engagement with the press revealed that the formal launch of the bloc’s 50th Anniversary will also mark the official unveiling of the anniversary theme and official logo.
In updates shared on Monday, in the build up to the august event, he shared news of the arrival of ECOWAS leaders – in order of arrival, the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency Muhammed B. S. Jallow and President of Liberia His Excellency Joseph Boakai.
Other ECOWAS Leaders expected to grace the occasion are Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria alongside all other ECOWAS heads of state. Representatives from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have also been invited.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), since its establishment in 1975 has carried the mission of promoting regional integration through policy harmonization, resource pooling, and collective efforts to address the region’s challenges.