The ECOWAS Commission’s Political Affairs Directorate held its second Brown Bag seminar on Wednesday, 7 October 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria, themed “The New Has Not Yet Been Born: Global Africa in the Era of Chimerica.”
According to the ECOWAS Commission, the seminar was organised to promote knowledge-sharing and to deepen reflection on the emerging world order, characterised by the dynamics of cooperation and competition between China and the United States, as well as on its implications for Africa and West Africa.
The guest speaker was Professor Adekeye Adebajo, a Senior Researcher at the Centre for the Promotion of Research at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, who attended as the event’s guest of honour.
In his address, he analysed Africa’s interests and priorities within a rapidly changing world order, and called on the continent’s stakeholders and think tanks to promote a strategic positioning for Africa in the face of current geopolitical shifts.
Participants included serving and retired diplomats, personnel of multilateral organisations such as the United Nations, representatives of various ECOWAS Directorates, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the West African Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), the Nigerian National Defence College, and renowned scholars and practitioners.
In his welcome address, the ECOWAS Director of Political Affairs, Dr Babatunde Afolabi, welcomed the participation of the various stakeholders.
He emphasised the importance of strengthening knowledge-sharing and understanding of contemporary geopolitical dynamics in order to better address the challenges affecting West Africa and Africa in general.
The seminar was the second iteration of the series convened by the ECOWAS Directorate of Political Affairs.
According to the Commission, the series is aimed at promoting dialogue, institutional learning and strategic reflection on the political and geopolitical issues shaping the region’s future.
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