ECOWAS Commission and IOM agree to deepen cooperation on free movement, labour mobility, climate-induced mobility, return and reintegration, and migration governance after a working visit to ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja.
IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa Sylvia Ekra made the visit from 26 to 28 October 2026, according to a report from the Economic Community of West African States.
The trip included courtesy calls on ECOWAS Commission Vice-President Anthony Ogunjimi, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Dehpue Zuo, and Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs Nassirou Bako-Arifari, alongside technical working sessions with the Commission’s directorates.
In those engagements, the two institutions reviewed their partnership and examined how it could respond more closely to the priorities of Member States and deliver tangible benefits for Community citizens.
Discussions focused on accelerating implementation of regional commitments on human mobility and the displacement challenges facing West Africa.
The parties explored how IOM’s technical expertise, operational capacity and convening role could best support ECOWAS-led priorities, with particular emphasis on stronger migration governance and cross-border coordination, and on ensuring that all migrants, especially those in vulnerable situations, are protected and treated with safety and dignity.
The ECOWAS Commission stressed that cooperation must translate shared commitments into measurable results for Member States and citizens alike. Both institutions acknowledged that sustained high-level leadership will be essential to resolving persistent implementation bottlenecks.
As immediate follow-up, the two institutions will jointly identify priority actions, institutional entry points and realistic timelines, and will pursue opportunities for joint initiatives and resource mobilisation.
The engagement reaffirmed ECOWAS as IOM’s principal regional partner in West Africa and the importance of a long-term partnership grounded in ECOWAS leadership and regional ownership.
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