Amandla Institute to Host High-Level Conference of Leaders to Mark ECOWAS at 50 in Abuja

News Update

As part of activities commemorating the golden jubilee of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Amandla Institute is convening a landmark High-Level Reflection Conference of Leaders on June 24–25, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria.

The closed-door gathering will bring together some of the most influential figures in the history of the regional bloc to critically examine its journey over the past five decades and chart a course for its future.

Among the distinguished participants are General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd.), former Nigerian Head of State and a founding father of ECOWAS; Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the first President of the ECOWAS Commission; Dr. Abass Bundu, third Executive Secretary of the ECOWAS Secretariat; Dr. Omar Touray, current President of the ECOWAS Commission; and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Co-Founder of the Amandla Institute and former Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Also participating are prominent former ECOWAS officials, parliamentarians, jurists, and political leaders from across West Africa.

Themed “ECOWAS at 50: A High-Level Reflection Conference of Leaders,” the two-day event will provide an opportunity for deep introspection on the milestones, challenges, and prospects of regional integration and cooperation in West Africa.

At the heart of the conference is an urgent conversation on the current state and future of ECOWAS, particularly in light of the recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger , and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which poses a critical challenge to regional unity.

Speakers and panellists will engage in a series of thematic sessions covering the origins and evolution of ECOWAS, economic integration efforts, peace and security interventions, the role of regional institutions such as the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice, and the changing geopolitical landscape affecting West Africa.

The Amandla Institute is a pan-African, independent think tank and policy research organisation dedicated to advancing governance, security, and development across Africa. Co-founded by Dr. Fayemi, the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, it fosters dialogue and strategic solutions to regional challenges, including peacebuilding and strengthening democracy.