Ghanaian President John Mahama has called on ECOWAS to mark its fiftieth anniversary with a renewed commitment to inclusive integration, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, solidarity, and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges. Highlighting political instability, insecurity in the Sahel, economic inequality, and climate change, he advocated for the reintegration of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger into ECOWAS. Despite their absence from the summit, Mahama rejected isolation or condemnation, instead calling for constructive engagement and diplomatic outreach.
He affirmed that restoring ties with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has been a key priority, referencing the appointment of a special envoy and his own missions to the concerned nations.
Mahama also praised ECOWAS’s historical role in resolving regional conflicts and emphasized the need to strengthen community institutions. He urged that the organization become more responsive to the needs and hopes for citizens of the sub region, particularly its youth and women.
As a concrete step, he announced Ghana would provide 1,000 scholarships to students from ECOWAS countries for higher education in Ghana, framing it as a symbol of regional solidarity.
He concluded with a call to make the next 50 years of ECOWAS an era defined by unity, cooperation, and shared prosperity.
