The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commemorated its 50th anniversary on July 25, 2025, with a high-level event at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Held under the theme “United for a Better Future: Promoting Regionalism and Multilateralism for Shared Prosperity”, the ceremony underscored the organisation’s role in fostering peace, integration, and sustainable development in West Africa.
The event, hosted in the ECOSOC Chamber, was organised by the ECOWAS Permanent Observer Mission to the UN in collaboration with the ECOWAS Ambassadors Group. It drew attendance from senior UN officials, ECOWAS leaders, diplomats, academics, and international partners.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Kinza Jawara-Njai emphasized ECOWAS’s enduring contribution to regional stability and cooperation. Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, reflected on the organisation’s progress and reaffirmed its strategic Vision 2050 agenda.
Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, delivered the keynote address, highlighting regional security challenges and efforts to operationalise the ECOWAS Regional Rapid Reaction Force. He also introduced plans for a Citizens’ Pact to support deeper regional integration.
A notable moment of the ceremony was a video message from General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving founding leader of ECOWAS. He recalled the organisation’s founding vision in 1975 and called for renewed commitment to unity, solidarity, and shared ideals for a stronger West Africa.
