The Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement has announced plans to convene a high-level experts’ meeting in Abuja as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The gathering aims to strengthen regional cooperation and explore new pathways for West Africa’s integration agenda.
In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the institute said the event themed “Reimagining West Africa Regional Cooperation and Integration: Alternative Futures” is scheduled for October 31 and November 1, 2025, at the Main Auditorium of the ECOWAS Commission, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja.
The two-day forum is being organized in partnership with the African Leadership Centre, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and WATHI. It will bring together policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders to reflect on West Africa’s integration journey over the past five decades.
The organizers highlighted that a central focus of the 50th anniversary deliberations will be the disconnect between state-led integration efforts and the lived experiences of West Africans. While governments continue to drive formal policy initiatives, informal cross-border interactions among citizens have advanced integration in more practical ways, revealing a widening gap between institutional frameworks and people-centered realities.
The African Public Square (APS)
The meeting will also feature the second edition of The African Public Square (APS) an initiative that held its inaugural edition in London in 2023 and examined Africa’s global agency. The Abuja edition will convene experts in international development and public policy to assess ECOWAS’ achievements and challenges, including the planned withdrawal of three member states effective January 2025. The discussion aims to stimulate innovative ideas and chart a more resilient and inclusive future for regional integration.
The organizers noted that ECOWAS has made significant strides in promoting regional unity through landmark initiatives such as the ECOWAS Passport and protocols enabling free movement of persons, goods, and services. However, persistent insecurity, economic inequalities, slow policy implementation, delays in adopting a common regional currency, and shifting geopolitical dynamics continue to impede progress.
ECOWAS Vision 2050
They added that ECOWAS Vision 2050 sets out a bold ambition to transition from “an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples.” Realizing this vision, they said, will require stronger political commitment, inclusive governance, and deliberate efforts to close the divide between governments and citizens.
The organizers stressed that the golden jubilee offers a critical moment for reflection, renewal, and collective action, adding that the African Public Square will provide a timely platform to reshape integration as not just a policy target but an everyday reality for West Africans.
