WorldStage– The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mrs. Mémounatou Ibrahima, has called for stronger unity and deeper regional integration, warning that withdrawing in the face of current challenges would be a grave mistake.
Delivering her closing remarks at the conclusion of the First Ordinary Session of 2026 in Abuja, the Speaker highlighted the backdrop of fragile political transitions, persistent security threats, economic vulnerabilities, and climate emergencies confronting the region. She stressed that these multidimensional pressures should reinforce not weaken the resolve of member states.
“The Parliament must rise to the pressing political, economic, and security realities confronting the region while strengthening its oversight role in advancing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” she said.
AfCFTA: Opportunities and Challenges
The session followed a three-day parliamentary seminar on AfCFTA, during which members examined both the opportunities and challenges associated with the continental trade pact.
Acknowledging the agreement’s immense potential for economic transformation, the Speaker noted that concerns remain among member states. “While the agreement raises great hopes, it has not been unanimously accepted,” she said, citing non-tariff barriers, slow harmonisation of legal frameworks, infrastructural gaps, and the risk of excluding women, youth, and informal cross-border traders.
She emphasised that such concerns should not be viewed as opposition to integration but as a call for practical and inclusive implementation. “The implementation of the AfCFTA cannot be decreed; it is built, step by step, with our Member States and our economic actors,” she added.
Parliament’s Threefold Mission
Emphasising Parliament’s role as the voice of the people, the Speaker outlined a threefold mission: Advocate for the ratification and effective implementation of AfCFTA protocols Monitor the alignment of national policies with regional commitments, and Raise awareness among citizens and businesses about opportunities within the integrated market.
“We must be the voice that challenges, the eye that monitors, and the engine that drives progress,” she declared, stressing that parliamentary oversight must promote inclusive and transparent regional integration.
2026 Programme and Gender Inclusion
During the session, lawmakers adopted the Parliament’s 2026 Programme of Activities, structured around four key priorities Citizen Participation, Institutional Strengthening, Peace and Governance, and Facilitation. The Speaker described the programme as a roadmap toward building “a citizen-oriented Parliament.”
The adoption of the 2026 programme of ECOFEPA, the network of women parliamentarians within ECOWAS, was also hailed as a strategic step in promoting gender inclusion in regional development efforts.
Appreciation and Solidarity
The Speaker expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Nigeria for hosting the session and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the hospitality extended to delegates. She also acknowledged the presence of sister institutions, including the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Court of Justice, describing their participation as a demonstration of community solidarity.
Reflecting on the region’s broader challenges, the Speaker cautioned against retreating from integration efforts. “Our unity and our integration are more than ever shields and bulwarks,” she said, calling on lawmakers to ensure that resolutions from the session translate into “concrete actions, courageous reforms, and more inclusive public policies” across member states.
She then formally declared the First Ordinary Session of 2026 closed, ending with a message of solidarity for the West African bloc and the African continent at large.
