ECOWAS at 50: Golden Jubilee Kicks Off in Accra April 22
West African bloc kicks off golden jubilee with cultural showcases, high-level attendance, and a vision for deeper integration.
- ECOWAS launches 50th anniversary celebrations on April 22, 2025
- Heads of State and dignitaries to attend
- Year-long activities planned across Member States to celebrate five decades of regional cooperation and integration
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will officially begin its 50th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
The event will be graced by Heads of State and Government, along with key ministers and dignitaries, as confirmed by a statement from the ECOWAS Commission.
The launch event will feature the unveiling of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee logo and theme, accompanied by cultural performances that celebrate the organization’s history and accomplishments.
This launch marks the start of a year-long series of activities across ECOWAS member states, endorsed by the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government.
The commemorative program was approved during a virtual meeting of the ECOWAS Administrative and Financial Committee in February 2025.
Founded on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, ECOWAS was created to promote economic integration and self-reliance across West Africa.
The organization began with 15 countries, expanded when Cabo Verde joined in 1977, and saw Mauritania’s withdrawal in 2000, though it re-engaged through an association agreement in 2017. Recently, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger also withdrew in January 2025.
ECOWAS’s current members include Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The organization has become a pillar of regional cooperation, facilitating development in areas like transport, energy, agriculture, and trade, with a combined GDP of $734.8 billion.
In 2007, ECOWAS restructured into a Commission to enhance leadership and strategic oversight, with a President, Vice-President, five Commissioners, and an Auditor General at the helm.
Funded by a 0.5% levy on imports from non-member states, ECOWAS is committed to deepening integration, removing trade barriers, and advancing its 2050 vision of evolving from an “ECOWAS of States” to an “ECOWAS of Peoples,” united in peace and shared prosperity.
