The Amandla Institute has planned to convene a landmark high-level reflection conference of leaders on June 24–25, 2025, in Abuja, as part of activities to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The closed-door gathering is expected to bring together some of the most influential figures in the history of the regional bloc to critically examine its journey over the past five decades and chart a course for its future.

Distinguished participants expected at the conference include former Nigerian Head of State and a founding father of ECOWAS, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd); the first President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas; the third Executive Secretary of the ECOWAS Secretariat, Dr Abass Bundu; current President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, and Co-Founder of the Amandla Institute and former Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

Also participating are prominent former ECOWAS officials, parliamentarians, jurists, and political leaders from across West Africa.

The two-day event, themed “ECOWAS at 50: A High-Level Reflection Conference of Leaders,” will provide an opportunity for deep introspection on the milestones, challenges, and prospects of regional integration and cooperation in West Africa.

Also at the heart of the conference is an urgent conversation on the current state and future of ECOWAS, particularly in the light of the recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which poses a critical challenge to regional unity.

Speakers and panellists will engage in a series of thematic sessions, covering the origins and evolution of ECOWAS, economic integration efforts, peace and security interventions, the role of regional institutions, such as the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice, and the changing geopolitical landscape affecting West Africa.

Amandla Institute is a pan-African, independent think-tank and policy research organisation dedicated to advancing governance, security, and development across Africa. It also fosters dialogue and strategic solutions to regional challenges, including peace-building and strengthening democracy.