ECOWAS Celebrates 50 Years in Lagos as Tinubu Champions Regional Revival During Golden Jubilee Festivities
President Tinubu marked ECOWAS’s golden jubilee with a bold call for action, urging leaders to convert promises into results on trade, security, and digital integration.
Held in Lagos, the summit celebrated 50 years of West African unity with landmark agreements on border reform, e-passports, clean energy, and a new ₦200 billion regional peace fund.
As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marks its golden jubilee, President Bola Tinubu not only attended the summit but also seized the opportunity to ignite a renewed vision of West African solidarity, economic dynamism, and security cooperation. He challenged member states to turn lofty commitments into tangible results.
ECOWAS was established on May 28, 1975, to promote economic integration and collective security among its founding nations. Over the past fifty years, it has navigated through coups, civil wars, trade disputes, and funding gaps, becoming Africa’s foremost regional bloc. However, critics argue that grand declarations have often outpaced actual delivery, as issues like border delays, underfunded peacekeeping missions, and digital divides continue to plague West Africa.
Key highlights of the golden jubilee celebration
Accra Launch (April 22, 2025): The festivities began in Ghana’s capital, where Heads of State gathered to unveil the official Golden Jubilee logo and theme, “Stronger Together for a Brighter Future.” The ceremony featured speeches from ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray and former Nigerian Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), alongside vibrant cultural performances that traced ECOWAS’s journey from its inception to the present day.
Lagos Commemoration (May 27–29, 2025): On home turf, Lagos hosted the Golden Jubilee summit at Eko Hotels & Suites. In addition to high-level policy discussions, attendees reenacted the 1975 founding declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and toured an interactive exhibit titled “ECOWAS Through the Decades,” showcasing landmark projects ranging from the ETLS trade protocol to regional peacekeeping missions.
On May 27, President Tinubu arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 4:15 PM, welcomed by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a guard of honour. Upon entering Eko Hotels & Suites, Tinubu delivered a rallying cry: “In this golden year, let us turn commitments into actions.” As both ECOWAS chairman and host, he emphasised Nigeria’s determination to lead not only in resources but also in political will.
Summit agreements expected to bring about change
Under the theme “Stronger Together for a Brighter Future,” leaders agreed on initiatives designed to reshape the bloc’s next fifty years:
1. Trade Without Tears: Reduce cross-border delays by 30% over two years through harmonised customs procedures, thereby eliminating days-long gridlocks at shared borders.
2. Crisis Ready Fund: Establish a ₦200 billion ECOWAS Peace and Security Fund to deploy rapid-response teams at the first sign of unrest, demonstrating that solidarity means mutual protection.
3. Digital Freedom Pass: Introduce an ECOWAS e-passport that will allow 400 million West Africans to traverse borders as seamlessly as they navigate the internet, fulfilling the promise of free movement.
4. Green Energy Grid: Launch a 150 MW solar corridor linking Nigeria and Benin, symbolising a commitment to clean energy and cross-border collaboration.
Policy experts and economists have welcomed the reforms with cautious optimism:
Economic Boost: Professionalising asset portfolios could unlock significant dividends, contingent on rigorous governance and transparent valuations.
Security Assurance: A funded rapid-response mechanism signals a commitment to the safety of member states.
Digital Integration: The e-passport reinforces the ideal of free movement, promoting tourism, business, and cross-border exchange. However, seasoned observers caution that even the best-designed frameworks require stringent enforcement and protection from patronage to avoid bureaucratic inertia.
I have seen summits that concluded with applause but delivered little lasting impact. Today felt different. Tinubu’s emphasis on binding timelines and measurable milestones broke the usual pattern of rhetoric. We must evaluate ECOWAS not by grand speeches but by shorter waits at border posts, well-equipped peacekeepers on the front lines, and the debut of biometric chips scanning green in every ECOWAS nation.
At fifty, ECOWAS is at a crucial turning point. Will it be remembered for its rhetoric or its results? With Nigeria’s bold leadership paving the way, the bloc now possesses a blueprint for seamless trade, robust security, and genuine digital citizenship. The real work lies ahead, transforming signed agreements and jubilant celebrations into daily realities that improve the lives of all West Africans.
