Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, PhD, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, has emphasized that the Compact for the Future of Regional Integration is central to realizing the vision of an “ECOWAS of the People.”
He explained that the Compact serves as both a strategic and normative framework designed to operationalize ECOWAS Vision 2050, ensuring that regional integration is people-centered and future-oriented.
Ambassador Musah made these remarks on Tuesday, 13 May 2026, in Abuja, while delivering a presentation titled “Processes Towards the Compact for the Future of Regional Integration” during the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Paragraph 43 of the Communiqué issued at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, held on 7 July 2024 in Abuja, states:
“In view of the evolving regional and global political and security dynamics, the Authority directs the Commission to convene a Special Summit on the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa, taking into account the state of governance, peace and security, and the regional integration project.”
In addition, the Authority instructed the Commission to facilitate a deep reflection on the interconnections between electoral processes, democracy, and development, and to intensify efforts toward achieving the objectives of Vision 2050.
This directive represents a fundamental reset of the West African integration project—shifting away from an elite-driven political bloc toward a truly people-centered framework, an “ECOWAS of the Peoples.”
The Communiqué further acknowledges that the regional integration project is at its most fragile point since the founding of ECOWAS in 1975, weakened by internal governance failures and the rise of alternative regional alignments. Against this backdrop, the Compact for the Future of Regional Integration outlines four strategic pillars:
- Sustainable Economic Transformation: Aimed at doubling intra-regional trade to 30% by 2035, driving industrialization, ensuring food sovereignty, and advancing the phased implementation of the single currency—the ECO—by 2040.
- Peace, Security, and Democratic Governance: Focused on restoring constitutional order, strengthening the ECOWAS Standby Force, and upholding a strict policy of “zero tolerance” for both military coups and civilian constitutional manipulations.
- Science, Technology, and Innovation: Targeting the establishment of a Digital Single Market by 2030, alongside the creation of regional frameworks for Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity.
- Re-engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES): Addressing the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the Compact proposes structured dialogue and confidence-building measures to prevent permanent fragmentation of the regional bloc.
To ensure effective delivery, the Compact introduces a robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework, explicitly recognizing the historical “implementation deficit” that has hindered past regional initiatives.
The ultimate objective is to transform ECOWAS from a body that merely issues declarations into one that delivers tangible public goods—security, economic mobility, and digital connectivity—for its citizens.
To achieve this, the implementation methodology relies on broad-based consultations: citizen engagements across West Africa, independent civil society surveys and recommendations, inputs from Heads of State and Government, African diaspora consultations, and synthesized conclusions prepared by independent consultants and resource persons.
In principle, the Compact is designed to facilitate the implementation of Vision 2050, while taking into account ongoing geopolitical and geostrategic shifts, the evolving security and humanitarian landscape, setbacks in democracy and governance, and the state of human rights and the rule of law.
Ambassador Musah underscored that the ECOWAS Compact for the Future of Regional Integration is nothing less than a survival strategy for the region. “It seeks to rebuild trust between citizens and the State by ensuring that regional integration is irreversible, people-centered, and capable of responding to 21st-century challenges in an era of geopolitical realignments and the erosion of multilateralism,” he said.
