The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), founded on May 28, 1975, marked its 50th anniversary in May 2025 — a milestone that should have been a moment of celebration, reflection and renewed optimism. Instead, the golden jubilee coincided with what many observers describe as the most difficult period in the organisation’s history.
Once regarded as a model sub-regional bloc and a symbol of African integration, ECOWAS reached its half-century mark amid severe political, security and institutional challenges that now threaten its cohesion and relevance.
From its original 16 founding members under the Lagos Treaty of 1975, ECOWAS’ membership has steadily declined. Mauritania withdrew in December 2000, reducing the bloc to 15 states. In January 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — collectively referred to as the Sahel States — formally exited, cutting membership further to 12 and raising fears of possible further withdrawals and eventual fragmentation.
The anniversary year began on a grim note with the official withdrawal of the three Sahel States on Jan. 29, 2025, despite sustained diplomatic efforts by regional leaders and stakeholders to reverse the decision. Appeals by ECOWAS leaders, including a personal plea by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving founding Head of State, failed to persuade the military-led governments to reconsider.
Even shuttle diplomacy led by the Presidents of Togo and Senegal yielded no breakthrough. The Sahel States had earlier given statutory notice of their intention to withdraw and subsequently formed a parallel bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), severing formal ties with ECOWAS.
The fallout stemmed largely from sanctions and disagreements over military coups in the affected countries, set against worsening security conditions. By late 2025, ECOWAS was grappling with what analysts described as a regional emergency, driven by escalating terrorist attacks, banditry and political instability across West Africa.
The departure of the Sahel States created vast ungoverned spaces, which armed groups and terrorists increasingly exploited, deepening regional insecurity. It also contributed to a downward revision of West Africa’s economic growth forecast from 5.1 per cent to 5.0 per cent in 2025.
Despite the split, ECOWAS maintained an open-door policy and continued efforts to re-engage the Sahel States, particularly on joint security matters. According to the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, the objective remains to sustain dialogue and minimise the negative impact of the division.
Beyond the Sahel crisis, the bloc faced multiple governance challenges in 2025. Democratic space narrowed in countries such as Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, prompting regional concern. Late in the year, democratic backsliding was further highlighted by a military takeover in Guinea-Bissau and an attempted coup in Benin.
At the Golden Jubilee celebration, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, said the bloc’s 50 years of existence remained worth celebrating despite formidable challenges. He described the anniversary as a moment for reflection, resilience and recommitment to the founding vision, urging leaders to preserve the unity and indivisibility of ECOWAS.
Touray called for a frank assessment of the region’s “crisis of democracy and security,” stressing that the prevailing global disruptions demanded renewed resolve rather than retreat.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, who served as ECOWAS Chairman during the anniversary period, also decried the political turbulence across the region. He urged member states to remain united, warning that divisions could erode five decades of progress. He highlighted key achievements of the bloc, including free movement of persons, trade liberalisation, peacekeeping operations and regional healthcare initiatives.
One notable achievement in 2025 was progress in infrastructure development, particularly the approval of a dedicated project company and expanded international financing for the 25-billion-dollar West African Gas Pipeline Extension Project and the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline merger. Stretching nearly 6,000 kilometres across 13 countries, the project is designed to boost regional energy access, support economic growth and provide a strategic gas link between West Africa and Europe.
In December 2025, ECOWAS leaders, meeting in Abuja, declared a renewed focus on strengthening democracy and combating terrorism through a unified regional approach. Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Bio, who chaired the Authority of Heads of State and Government, described the decision as a defining moment, stressing that instability in one country posed risks to the entire region.
During the year, ECOWAS also intensified efforts to promote trade through the Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area, while pushing for economic diversification and renewed momentum toward the long-delayed single currency, the Eco.
In a landmark move, ECOWAS leaders agreed to abolish air transport taxes and reduce passenger and security charges by 25 per cent across the sub-region, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The reforms are expected to lower airfares significantly, boost passenger traffic and support regional integration by making air travel more affordable.
Analysts note that while 2025 exposed ECOWAS’ vulnerabilities, it also served as a year of deep reflection on the bloc’s resilience and future direction. They argue that for ECOWAS to remain relevant, it must decisively confront insecurity, violent extremism, democratic erosion and declining public trust, while implementing reforms that will reposition it as a truly people-centred regional organisation.