Gowon, Ojukwu, Akinyemi predict hopeful future for ECOWAS

Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, have expressed hope for a brighter and more united future for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), even amid the recent exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

Speaking during a high-level Roundtable Conference held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, the leaders urged renewed commitment to the core ideals of the regional body as it marks its 50th anniversary.

Themed “ECOWAS, An African Model @ 50: Resilience and Future Prospects,” the event brought together regional heavyweights and policymakers, including ECOWAS President Dr. Alieu Touray, former ECOWAS President Dr. Ibn Chambas, former Guinea Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate, and Vice Chairperson of the African Union Commission Selma Malika Haddadi.

General Gowon, one of the surviving founding fathers of ECOWAS, chaired the event and emphasized the need to keep diplomatic doors open to the three Sahel nations—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—who recently exited ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Reinforcing this view, Professor Akinyemi noted that the current challenges facing the breakaway states, especially insecurity and economic difficulties, could lead them to reconsider their decision.

“When they realize that pulling out was not the solution, they may begin to see the value of regional integration.

“And as General Gowon rightly said, they should be treated with compassion, not condemnation,” Akinyemi said.

In her keynote address, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted ECOWAS’s contributions to regional peacekeeping, economic cooperation, and democratic governance.

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She praised the foresight of the founding fathers, including Gowon, and called on member states to recommit to the principles of unity, peace, and development.

“Today’s discussions have laid the groundwork for a more resilient and inclusive ECOWAS,” she said, noting that the forum offered a timely platform to reflect on both the achievements and ongoing challenges facing the regional bloc.

ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Touray echoed these sentiments, stressing that the departing member states remain vital to regional security and integration.

He announced that a summit focusing on the future direction of ECOWAS is in the works.

“We must prioritize peace, security, good governance, and infrastructure to unlock the region’s full potential,” Touray said.

The United Nations Special Representative for ECOWAS and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, also applauded the organization’s maturity in managing the delicate political fallout following the exit of the Sahel states.

He reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to continued collaboration with ECOWAS.

As the regional body looks to the next 50 years, speakers at the roundtable agreed on one point: unity and cooperation remain the keys to addressing the region’s shared challenges and securing a prosperous future for all West Africans.