April 2, 2025
A Nigerian activist, Mr. Bishir Dauda, who has embarked on a 50 day celebration road trip across West Africa to mark ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary on Tuesday, arrived in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Dauda had earlier announced in an interview with NAN that the journey, which he intended to begin on April 1, was his unique way of celebrating ECOWAS’ golden jubilee.
The Pan-Africanist said in a statement from the country’s capital that his first port of call was the ECOWAS Resident Representative’s office, where he was received by officials on arrival.
He said that, thereafter, he had a robust interactive discussion with representatives of activists, youth groups, and ordinary citizens of the country, bordering on ECOWAS’ 50 years of achievements and challenges.
“Generally, the people commended ECOWAS for recording tangible achievements, especially in the areas of free movement of persons and goods, harmonisation of trade tariffs, boosting tourism, sporting events, humanitarian support, peace-keeping missions, and strengthening democracy and good governance.
Dauda stated that the Beninese citizens, however, identified some key challenges they perceived as threats to ECOWAS.
These, he said, include unconstitutional change of government, illegal tenure elongation by some West African heads of government and state, electoral fraud and irregularities, breaching ECOWAS treaties and protocols, lack of democracy, and weak governance in member-states.
Others are external manipulation, inadequate funding, and failure to achieve the ECOWAS Common Currency (ECO), among others.
“The people recommended that ECOWAS should continue to pursue policies and programmes that will strengthen unity and cooperation amongst its member states.
“They demanded that the launching of the ECO should be achieved by 2027 as promised by ECOWAS.
“The citizens also called on ECOWAS to continue pursuing dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, while urging the Sahel states to re-consider their decision, and return to ECOWAS, in the interest of African unity, cooperation and integration,” Dauda said.
Dauda further said that the citizens also recommended that ECOWAS should continue to uphold and enforce its Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and all other treaties.
He said they also called on ECOWAS to develop more programmes and initiatives targeting youth, women, and people with disabilities.
The activist said the citizens also wanted the ECOWAS Standby Force to become fully operational to address the major security threats facing West Africa, such as terrorism, insurgency, and several armed conflicts.
He said that many citizens supported ECOWAS’ gigantic projects, such as the Lagos-Abidjan Highway and the West African Power Pool.
“The community citizens have underscored the imperative of maintaining peace and enjoined stakeholders in West Africa to be ambassadors of peace. (NAN)
