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Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine

West Africa News Agency

Agence de Presse Ouest-Africaine

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Regional

Tag: Regional

West Africa regional news — ECOWAS decisions, cross-border trade, security and diplomacy shaping the sub-region, from West Africa News Agency.

Business & Economy

ECOWAS Validates Framework for Regional Transport Observatory at Abidjan Workshop

By Harouna Mayaki

ECOWAS held a technical stakeholder workshop in Abidjan where participants validated the concept note, terms of reference and governance arrangements for a proposed Regional Transport Observatory for West Africa. The meeting, supported by TradeMark Africa under the EU Global Gateway Support Programme, brought together ECOWAS directorates, regional institutions, corridor observatories and partners including the African Development Bank, the World Bank and the EU. The next phase is set to focus on resource mobilisation, technical deployment and capacity building.

Defense and Security

ECOWAS Commission Holds Handover Session as Defence Chiefs Committee Chair Changes Hands

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

The ECOWAS Commission held a working session with its Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on 12 October 2026 to take stock of responsibilities tied to the change of baton from an outgoing to an incoming chair. Commission President General Birame Diop stressed the need for cohesion in the fight against terrorism, which he described as transnational and requiring a community-wide strategy. Lt Gen Amara Idara Bangoura of Sierra Leone is handing over to Vice Admiral Oumar Wade of Senegal.

West African Politics

ECOWAS and OECD Move to Turn 2025 Memorandum Into Joint Work Programme

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

ECOWAS Commission President General Birame Diop met OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann in Paris on 1 October 2026, in one of his first official engagements since taking office. The two sides reviewed implementation of their October 2025 memorandum of understanding and set out proposed next steps, including a joint technical coordination mechanism and a joint work programme.

Business & Economy

WAGPA Reports 22% Gas Supply Rise as ECOWAS Commissioner Pledges Support

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

The West African Gas Pipeline Authority has reported a 22% increase in gas supply compared with previous years, its Director General Chafari Kanya Hanawa told ECOWAS Commissioner Amin Amidu Sulemani during a courtesy visit. Hanawa outlined the pipeline's origins in a 1982 ECOWAS initiative and a 2003 treaty signed by Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, with commercial operations starting in 2011. Sulemani pledged support for the authority's work and called for collaboration on regional energy integration.

West African Politics

Five New ECOWAS Court Judges Sworn In for Single Four-Year Term

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

Five judges were sworn in at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja on 6 October 2026 for a four-year, non-renewable term. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal presided and urged the new judges to uphold the credibility of the Community justice system, while ECOWAS Commission President Birame Diop paid tribute to the outgoing judges.

West African Politics

ECOWAS Commission President Birame Diop Meets IMF, World Bank Officials in Washington

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

ECOWAS Commission President H.E. General Birame Diop met IMF and World Bank officials in Washington, D.C., on 28 and 29 September 2026, during the 81st UN General Assembly session. Discussions covered West Africa's economic outlook, regional integration, and collaboration under an existing ECOWAS-IMF memorandum of understanding. The parties agreed to hold a high-level mission to the ECOWAS Commission in the third week of November 2026.

Social Impact & Development

ECOWAS Meeting Calls for 3% Budget Allocation to Child Protection

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

Delegates at a regional review meeting on the ECOWAS Policy on Children, held in Abuja and concluded on 25 September 2026, adopted recommendations urging Member States to raise child protection budget allocations to 3 per cent and to replicate the ECRIMS data system nationally. The recommendations also called on the ECOWAS Commission to continue resource mobilisation and coordination efforts, and on development partners to sustain support for Member States' capacity-building.

West African Politics

ECOWAS Delegation Meets UN, African Union Officials at 81st UN General Assembly

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

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.

Climate & Environment

West African Water Ministers Adopt Strategic Resolutions in Abidjan Before First Regional Water Forum

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

Water ministers from across West Africa adopted strategic resolutions on regional water governance at the 6th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on IWRM in Abidjan, convened under ECOWAS, WAEMU and CILSS. The decisions cover revision of the West African Water Resources Policy, operationalisation of the African Water Vision 2063 and institutionalisation of the West Africa Regional Water Forum. The outcomes will inform the First West Africa Regional Water Forum, scheduled for 24–25 September 2026 in Abidjan.

Social Impact & Development

ECOWAS Reviews Child Policy as Officials Cite Poverty, Displacement

By Daniel Inaju - Challydoff Limited

ECOWAS officials met in Abuja with member state directors responsible for children's rights to assess progress on the bloc's Child Policy and its 2019–2030 Strategic Action Plan. Speakers pointed to poverty, conflict and displacement as obstacles to children's rights, and called for stronger accountability and child participation.