The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is moving to deepen citizen participation in regional governance through the operationalisation of its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a platform designed to give civil society and other non-state actors a stronger voice in decision-making.
Speaking in an interview after the opening of a three-day Validation Meeting of Experts and Ministers on the Operationalisation of ECOWAS-ECOSOC in Accra, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, said the new institution would help bridge the gap between regional leaders and citizens.
According to him, while ECOWAS has spent the past five decades building institutions, policies and instruments to advance regional integration, citizen participation remains essential to making those efforts meaningful.
For 50 years, ECOWAS has been building institutions and policies to guide regional integration. But if we do not create a platform for the people — civil society, the private sector, youth groups, women’s organisations, research institutions and traditional leaders — then integration risks becoming just a slogan,” Dr. Musah said.
He explained that the ECOSOC framework is intended to provide an organised platform through which non-state actors can contribute to policy discussions and influence decisions that affect the region.
These groups must have the opportunity to contribute to decision-making at the highest level. ECOSOC will give citizens a platform to express their views and help shape the direction of the region,” he noted.
Dr. Musah also highlighted the importance of addressing the needs of West Africa’s rapidly growing youth population, noting that young people under the age of 25 account for between 60 and 70 percent of the region’s population.
He warned that the youth demographic could either become a powerful driver of development or a source of instability if governments fail to create opportunities.
Young people are a resource for development and integration. But if we do not invest in education, employment and infrastructure to help them realise their potential, they can be drawn into violent extremism and transnational crime,” he cautioned.
The ECOWAS Commissioner also noted that the regional bloc has played a critical role in stabilising West Africa and promoting economic integration, including the introduction of free movement of people and goods across member states.
He added that ECOSOC would provide an additional mechanism for citizens to engage leaders on key issues such as economic transformation, value addition to natural resources and the long-discussed regional currency, the Eco.
One of the platforms for operationalising the regional integration agenda is ECOSOC, and we are hopeful that by next year it will be fully operational,” he said.
Nelly Mireku, Director of the Research Division at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance, in a speech read on her behalf, said the meeting represented a major step toward strengthening participatory governance within the ECOWAS framework.
Ghana is pleased to host this gathering of experts from across the Community. It reflects our collective commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and advancing the ECOWAS integration agenda,” she said.
She noted that the meeting would review and validate the proposed operational framework, legal instruments and institutional arrangements required for the effective establishment of ECOSOC.
Your deliberations over the next few days will help ensure that the proposed framework is technically sound, inclusive and aligned with the broader objectives of ECOWAS,” she added.
Participants at the meeting are expected to refine the institutional framework that will guide the establishment and functioning of ECOWAS-ECOSOC as part of efforts to deepen citizen engagement and strengthen regional integration in West Africa.
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