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The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) volition rotation retired the drums to observe its 25th day successful November 2025 with varying levels of milestones amid challenges confronting the instauration and the sub-region.
The Speaker Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima made this known successful her closing remarks astatine the 2025 Second Extraordinary Session of the Parliament successful Port Harcourt, Rivers State successful September. She said activities lined up for the solemnisation volition commencement from November 14 to 16, 2025.
The Parliament was established nether Article 6 (in the database of Community institutions) and 13 (which specifically provides its establishment) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993. Article 2 of the Supplementary Act, Stipulates that the House of Representatives of the peoples of the Community shall beryllium designated the “ECOWAS Parliament”.
The ECOWAS Parliament is presently astatine its 6th Legislature since inception astatine the inaugural league of the 1st Legislature connected 16 November, 2000, successful Bamako, Mali with the predetermination of Prof. Ali Nouhoum Diallo arsenic the archetypal Speaker with a five-year mandate starting successful November 2000.
Article 4 of the Supplementary Act relating to the enhancement of the powers of Parliament stipulates that the objectives of the Parliament shall among others, beryllium to: Contribute to the businesslike and effectual implementation of objectives and policies of the Community; Strengthen typical ideology successful the Community; Ensure the close of scrutiny and engagement of the West African populations successful the process of integration of the portion and Contribute to the promotion of peace, information and stableness successful the West African region.
In enactment with the rotational strategy of the alphabetical bid of Member States, the Speakership of the 6th Legislature fell connected Togo and consequently, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, a ranking subordinate of the Togolese delegation to the Parliament, was unanimously elected to preside of the 6th Legislature, with tenure of 4 years.
The 6th Legislature was installed by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu President, who was the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS successful May 2024 successful Abuja and Ibrahima besides holds the grounds arsenic the archetypal pistillate talker of the Parliament.
Initially the beingness of the Legislature was 5 years but this changed owed to the enactment of Article 5 of the Supplementary Act , which present determines that the beingness of the Legislature shall beryllium for 4 (4) years from the day of its inauguration by the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
Between 2000 and 2025, the Regional legislature has witnessed monolithic changes and its responses to the crises confronting the portion wrong its powers person been encouraging amid threats of caller challenges.
Prof. Diallo made large efforts to firmly found the Parliament arsenic a bastion of ideology from the cradle and immoderate level of occurrence was achieved. For instance, during the Mano River crisis, which was a play of terrible civilian wars and instability successful the Mano River portion of West Africa, specifically Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire, from the 1990s to the aboriginal 2000s, the Parliament roseate to the juncture to find solutions to the crisis.
The conflicts had led to wide decease and destruction, with millions displaced, and had lasting impacts connected the region’s governmental and economical stability, driven by issues similar governance failures and assets control.
Former Nigerian Senator, Dr. Mao Uhuabunwa, who served arsenic ECOWAS Parliament Committee Chairman for Foreign Affairs Defence and Security from 2001 to 2003, deployed resources to unfastened channels of discussions and dialog with rebel groups. Subsequently, the ECOWAS Commission and the Authority of Heads of State of the sub-region moved to code the situation successful the Mano River region. This was 1 of the large achievements of the First Legislature.
Since then, ECOWAS Parliament has engaged with the Mano River situation done delegations to analyse borderline disputes and code determination security, specified arsenic the August 2025 ngo to the Yenga borderline quality successful overmuch the aforesaid mode it has attended to different crises.
Although the Parliament’s nonstop legislative powerfulness is limited, it has supported struggle prevention, quality rights, and antiauthoritarian governance successful the sub-region, with its activities aimed astatine promoting bid and economical integration wrong the region. However, its effectiveness is hindered by a deficiency of existent legislative powerfulness and constricted connection betwixt the Parliament and subordinate states.
Despite the tremendous efforts of the legislature, the portion inactive faces a deluge of crises ranging from coercion and convulsive extremism, economical situation occasioned by debased investments and unemployment, younker migration, poverty, ostentation among others.
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