The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year. The golden jubilee celebrations were launched on Tuesday 22 April 2025 in Accra, Ghana, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé, who represented the Head of State, S.E.M. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.

The ECOWAS Commission seized the opportunity of the launching event, placed under the theme “stronger together for a better future,” to showcase its achievements. The ECOWAS was established on 28 May 1975. Its achievements include the community visa, the free movement of people and goods, trade facilitation within the region, the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, the Abidjan-Dakar motorway, and the Praia-Dakar shipping line.

Over the past few years, the ECOWAS has been grappling with security challenges, to name a few. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Alieu Touray, praised the Togolese President, H.E.M. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé for his leadership role in settling crises across the continent and within the community. Dr Touray called on the ECOWAS to be “united in blood” and maintain dialogue with the three member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

An extraordinary ECOWAS Council of Ministers will hold in Accra on 23 April 2025 to review the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

According to the host of the event, the Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, “the fiftieth anniversary is not just a celebration, but a solemn moment of reflection.” Indeed, he called for unity and the need to embark on a better path for shared prosperity and stability for ECOWAS.

The Head of the Government, Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé’s presence at the launching event testifies to the fact that Togo upholds solidarity, peace and security as enshrined in ECOWAS values. As a reminder, Togo is a founding member of the ECOWAS. 

The logo of the ECOWAS fiftieth anniversary was unveiled, setting the tone for the various celebrations lined up for the golden jubilee.