ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray hosted a series of pivotal meetings in Abuja, bringing together four strategic delegations to accelerate regional integration and development.
These discussions targeted key sectors including fiscal governance, scientific diplomacy, legal frameworks, and infrastructure financing, all aligned with the bloc’s Vision 2050.
The day began with talks between President Touray and Mor Dieng, President of the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa (ABWA).
They explored renewing their Memorandum of Understanding to harmonise accounting standards and enhance transparency in public financial management across ECOWAS member states.
President Touray underscored the vital role of finance professionals, urging that their work remain apolitical. A formal framework was agreed to advance shared financial priorities, reinforcing governance reforms.
Next, President Touray met with Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Dr. Floyd praised West Africa for achieving full ratification of the treaty and highlighted the region’s operational monitoring stations. Discussions focused on boosting cooperation in disaster risk reduction, scientific training, and peaceful nuclear technology.
President Touray proposed institutionalising technical collaboration to strengthen regional resilience.
The West African Bar Association (WABA) then presented proposals for renewed partnership with ECOWAS on regional legal frameworks, electoral justice, and constitutional stability.
President Touray stressed the importance of impartial legal institutions for democratic governance and citizens’ rights. He encouraged WABA to expand inclusivity, clarify its institutional structure, and align firmly with ECOWAS legal standards.
The final session involved the Steering Committee of the ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU), chaired by Commissioner Sediko Douka.
Focus was placed on project preparation challenges, regulatory coherence, and financing mechanisms, notably the proposed Fund for the Development and Financing of the Transport and Energy Sectors (FODETE).
This fund plans to mobilise resources via levies on agricultural and extractive exports.
President Touray called for extensive national consultations to ensure fairness and highlighted the urgent need for resilient health partnerships after major funding withdrawals.
Concluding the intensive consultations, President Touray reaffirmed that citizen welfare remains central to ECOWAS’s mission.
“Each engagement brings us closer to a united region delivering dignity and opportunity,” he said, reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to driving tangible progress across multiple pillars of integration.
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