The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled a six-pillar strategic initiative, tagged the “Compact for the Future of Regional Integration,” aimed at repositioning the regional bloc to address growing political, economic and security challenges across West Africa.
The proposal was presented on Thursday in Abuja by Abdel-Fatau Musah during the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Musah described the initiative as a “survival strategy” designed to strengthen regional integration, rebuild trust among member states and citizens, and reposition the regional bloc to deliver more tangible benefits to the people of the region.
According to him, the compact is intended to operationalise the ECOWAS Vision 2050 agenda by transforming the bloc from what he described as an “ECOWAS of States” into an “ECOWAS of the Peoples.”
ALSO READ Nigeria urges ECOWAS to adopt innovative solutions to regional challenges
He said the initiative comes at a critical moment for the regional body, which he noted is facing one of its most fragile periods since its establishment in 1975, amid governance failures, democratic setbacks and the emergence of alternative alliances such as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) involving Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
“The Compact seeks to rebuild trust between states and their peoples, ensuring that regional integration remains relevant, citizen-centred and capable of responding to 21st-century challenges,” Musah said.
He explained that the framework was adopted by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during a summit in Abuja, where leaders proposed a Special Summit on the Future of Regional Integration.
Musah added that the document was developed through consultations with citizens across West Africa, civil society organisations, the African diaspora, institutions and regional leaders of the bloc.
The commissioner said the strategy is anchored on six key pillars: sustainable economic transformation, peace and democratic governance, science and technology, social inclusion, institutional reform, and ECOWAS geopolitical positioning.
Under the economic transformation pillar, he said ECOWAS aims to increase intra-regional trade to 30 per cent by 2035, promote industrialisation and food sovereignty, and implement the ECO single currency by 2040.
On governance and security, Musah said the compact reaffirms zero tolerance for military coups and unconstitutional constitutional amendments, while proposing a stronger ECOWAS Standby Force to address emerging threats.
He further disclosed that the science and technology pillar seeks to establish a Digital Single Market by 2030, while the social inclusion agenda targets 40 per cent women representation in leadership and stronger youth participation in governance.
According to him, the initiative also proposes reforms aimed at making ECOWAS institutions more merit-driven, transparent and fully self-financed through the Community Levy by 2030.
Musah noted that a major component of the compact is its emphasis on “strategic autonomy,” positioning ECOWAS as a unified geopolitical bloc capable of defending West Africa’s sovereignty in an increasingly multipolar global environment.
He added that the framework also provides for structured dialogue and confidence-building measures with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to prevent their permanent withdrawal from ECOWAS.
“To address ECOWAS’ longstanding implementation deficit, the Compact introduces a robust monitoring and evaluation system, including compliance scorecards for member states and an evidence-based approach to policy implementation,” he said.
Members of the ECOWAS Parliament later deliberated on the implications and implementation prospects of the proposed compact.
