The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was created on May 28, 1975, when leaders from fifteen West African countries signed the Treaty of Lagos in Nigeria. The goal was to promote economic integration and cooperation in the region.
However, the founding members included Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal, and Togo.
Cabo Verde joined in 1977, but Mauritania left in 2000, later becoming an associate member in 2017. ECOWAS covers 5.2 million square kilometers and has around 300 million people.
Its purpose is to improve trade, industry, transport, agriculture, and finance among member states. The organization also supports the free movement of people, goods, and services while working towards a common market and a single currency.
Headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS changed its Secretariat into a Commission in 2007 to improve its leadership. The vision is to create an “ECOWAS of the People” by 2050, ensuring peace and prosperity for all.
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List Of ECOWAS Presidents From 1975 Till Date
Name | Country | Term Of Office | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
Aboubakar Diaby Ouattara | Ivory Coast | January 1977 – 1985 | Ivorian |
Momodu Munu | Sierra Leone | 1985 – 1989 | Sierra Leonean |
Abass Bundu | Sierra Leone | 1989 – 1993 | Sierra Leonean |
Édouard Benjamin | Guinea | 1993 – 1997 | Guinean |
Lansana Kouyaté | Guinea | September 1997 – January 31, 2002 | Guinean |
Mohamed Ibn Chambas | Ghana | February 1, 2002 – December 31, 2006 | Ghanaian |
Mohamed Ibn Chambas | Ghana | January 1, 2007 – February 18, 2010 | Ghanaian |
James Victor Gbeho | Ghana | February 18, 2010 – March 1, 2012 | Ghanaian |
Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo | Burkina Faso | March 1, 2012 – June 4, 2016 | Burkinabe |
Marcel Alain de Souza | Benin | June 4, 2016 – March 1, 2018 | Beninese |
Jean-Claude Brou | Ivory Coast | March 1, 2018 – July 3, 2022 | Ivorian |
Omar Touray | Gambia | July 3, 2022 – Present | Gambian |
Institutions Under ECOWAS
- ECOWAS Commission
- Community Parliament
- Community Court of Justice
- ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
- West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
- Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA)
Special Agencies Under ECOWAS
- West African Monetary Agency (WAMA)
- West African Monetary Institute (WAMI)
- ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC)
- West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
- Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA)
- ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
- Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF)
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The First President Of ECOWAS
Aboubakar Diaby Ouattara was a prominent Ivorian diplomat who was instrumental in bringing West African countries together.
He was born on December 25, 1938, in Côte d’Ivoire and studied at HEC (Hautes Études Commerciales), where he learned about economics and international relations.
In 1977, Ouattara became the first Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He remained in this position until 1985. During his time as leader, he created policies that encouraged unity and economic cooperation among the countries in West Africa.
Ouattara knew that West African countries needed to cooperate to succeed. He pushed for agreements that made it easier for people and goods to move freely across borders.
He also supported efforts to improve security, so countries could work together to handle conflicts and crises. His ideas and policies helped create the foundation for ECOWAS to grow into the organization it is today.
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Current President Of ECOWAS
Omar Alieu Touray is the current President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. He took office in 2022 and will serve until 2026. Touray was born on November 5, 1965, in The Gambia.
He is a well-experienced diplomat with a strong background in international relations, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in literature and linguistics from Ain Shams University in 1987.
Later, he pursued a Ph.D. in international relations at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, which he completed in 1994.
Touray began his diplomatic career in the early 1990s. His first major role was as a liaison officer for the World Indigenous Organization at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1993 to 1994. Afterward, he worked as a consultant at the International Labour Organization in Geneva until 1995.
He returned to The Gambia’s Ministry of External Affairs and served in different positions, like the First Secretary of the Gambian Embassy to Belgium and the Gambian Mission to the European Union and the World Trade Organization.
From 2002 to 2007, Touray was the Gambian Ambassador to Ethiopia. He was also accredited to several organizations, including the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
He later became Gambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 2007. Touray was also appointed as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 2008, until 2009. After leaving this position, Touray worked for the Islamic Development Bank and in the Ivory Coast.
In October 2021, he was selected as the new president of the ECOWAS Commission, taking on the responsibility of leading the organization for the next few years.