The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, has said the West African sub-region recorded an economic growth rate of 4.6 per cent in 2025 despite prevailing global economic pressures, with projections pointing to a 5 per cent expansion in 2026.
Touray disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during an engagement with development partners while presenting highlights from the Commission’s 2025 Annual Report.
He explained that ECOWAS’ economic performance surpassed the continental average, driven by policy reforms, increased investment in the mining and energy sectors, improved trade facilitation and a rebound in services, transport and tourism.
According to him, inflation levels remained high in some member states but declined in others due to coordinated monetary policies and improved food supply. He added that fiscal deficits had reduced significantly as governments strengthened revenue generation and streamlined public spending.
Touray also noted a modest decline in the region’s debt-to-GDP ratio, attributing the improvement to strong nominal growth and enhanced macroeconomic management. He said the bloc’s external position remained stable, supported by increased export earnings from commodities such as oil, gold and bauxite.
The ECOWAS president observed that the global economy continued to undergo significant changes influenced by geopolitical tensions, supply chain adjustments and the rapid pace of digital and green transitions. Despite these challenges, he said Africa had shown resilience, with improving growth trends, easing inflation and better political stability in several countries.
On peace and security, Touray said the bloc intensified preventive diplomacy, mediation and democratic support initiatives in 2025, stressing that insecurity remained a major concern in parts of the region.
He said ECOWAS continued to manage the impact of the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger while maintaining open channels for dialogue. He added that the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff completed the rotation of the ECOWAS Standby Force and strengthened preparations for the Standby Force and the 1,650-member Counterterrorism Brigade.
Touray disclosed that ECOWAS had taken full ownership of the West Africa Police Information System after 12 years under Interpol, improving regional efforts against organised crime and terrorism. However, he noted that reduced cooperation with the Alliance of Sahel States had posed challenges, even as attack rates declined slightly while fatalities rose due to increased use of improvised explosive devices.
On governance, he said ECOWAS supported electoral and transition processes in countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. He also highlighted progress in economic integration, including the rollout of the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card in seven member states, with Nigeria being the latest.
Touray said the Commission continued to support women and youth through capacity-building programmes, benefiting over 1,300 small-scale cross-border traders and 50 women-led small and medium enterprises, alongside expanded digital skills training for rural women.
He disclosed that ECOWAS committed about eight million dollars to humanitarian response and disaster risk reduction efforts, while drug rehabilitation services expanded to ten centres across the region.
On infrastructure development, he said the bloc mobilised more than 42 million dollars for preparatory studies on regional road networks and advanced plans for the Praia–Dakar–Abidjan Corridor with support from the African Development Bank.
Reaffirming the bloc’s stance on governance, Touray said ECOWAS maintained zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government. He also called for an inclusive, short-term transition in Guinea-Bissau to implement constitutional and electoral reforms.
Touray announced that sanctions imposed on Guinea had been lifted following successful elections, confirming the country’s full reintegration into ECOWAS.
He expressed optimism about the region’s future, noting that despite the challenges faced in 2025, the bloc remained on track toward peace, prosperity and deeper regional integration.