Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine
Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine
ECOWAS has used World Rabies Day to urge member states, health services and communities to intensify joint efforts against rabies. The bloc's Regional Animal Health Centre in Bissau cited regional surveillance data showing dog-transmitted rabies accounted for 38.8 per cent of reported priority zoonoses outbreaks in the first quarter of 2026.
The ECOWAS Commission sent a delegation led by Chairperson General Biram Diop to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York from 22 to 27 September 2026. The delegation took part in plenary sessions and held meetings with UN officials, African Union and ECCAS counterparts, and the European Commissioner for International Partnerships. Nigeria's Vice-President Kashim Shettima received the delegation and urged the new ECOWAS leadership to prioritise unity and regional integration.
A review of 50 studies published between 2015 and 2025 finds stunting remains the most frequently reported form of child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 25% of under-fives stunted in many countries. The research groups responses into nutrition-specific, nutrition-sensitive and integrated approaches, concluding that combining strategies may offer the most sustainable results.
The First West Africa Regional Water Forum closed in Abidjan on 25 September 2026 with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration on Water Security and Sustainable Development, built on five strategic pillars. Delegates approved a Regional Follow-up Committee and a specialised Negotiation Task Force, and designated Cabo Verde to host the second edition.
Houthi forces have seized key positions along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha and several islands near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The expansion threatens shipping through a chokepoint that carries about 12% of global maritime trade and poses economic and security risks for Egypt, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.
Six years after the October 2020 #EndSARS protests, the movement's legacy is splitting the generation that built it. Research links participation to increased political engagement, but also to trust deficits, psychological distress and, for some, the decision to leave Nigeria. Studies of the "Japa" phenomenon suggest migration is often framed as escape rather than economic calculation.
A World Bank-commissioned study finds deposits of 41 transition minerals across 48 African countries, but most are exported raw or lightly processed. The researchers say regional coordination on trade, processing and infrastructure could help countries capture more value.
Research published in July 2026 estimates that 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes of natural uranium left the Democratic Republic of Congo inside cobalt hydroxide cargoes between 2000 and 2024, with less than 10 percent declared to the IAEA. The DRC has since launched a verification campaign to test uranium content in cobalt exports and will consult the nuclear watchdog.
ECOWAS, the European Union and GIZ held a technical session in Abuja on 24 September 2026 to finalise workplans for 13 strategic reform processes under the Trade in Services Programme. Participants reviewed priorities, sequencing, timelines and institutional responsibilities, including activities through March 2029. GIZ's Dr. Hartmut James said the next stage would be to validate the workplans and proceed towards implementation.
ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, Ambassador Amadou Diongue, presented a donation to the 'House of Joy' Child Care and Protection Centre in Ouidah on September 21, 2026. The contribution included food, school supplies, vocational equipment, and 500,000 CFA for tuition fees. The ceremony was attended by local officials and the children at the centre.
