By Danjuma Amodu
Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, has said regional integration cannot be sustained by governments and institutions alone without citizens at its centre.
Faye spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during an official visit to the ECOWAS Parliament, where he was received by Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mémounatou Ibrahima, and principal officers of the legislature.
Describing the Parliament as the “hub of regional dialogue,” the Senegalese leader said its representative role was critical to ensuring West Africans were not left on the margins of decisions shaping the bloc’s future.
He said the Parliament must remain central to deepening dialogue, citizen participation and institutional cooperation, and reaffirmed his support to work with it to advance Community objectives.
According to him, integration must also be backed by conflict prevention, mediation, public enlightenment and stability efforts.
The visit comes amid political, security and economic pressures testing cohesion within ECOWAS and its ability to maintain a common agenda.
In her welcome remarks, Ibrahima said Faye’s presence in the parliamentary chamber underscored the importance of dialogue and political participation to the integration project.
She linked Senegal’s tradition of public debate to the Parliament’s duty to provide a platform for West Africans to express their voices and aspirations.
The Speaker warned against reducing integration to a government-only affair.
“Regional integration should not remain merely a project of States, but should become a work of citizens and for citizens,” she said.
Ibrahima reaffirmed the Parliament’s commitment to representative democracy, human rights, peace and security, but stressed that its effectiveness required stronger legislative and oversight powers.
She called for a more representative and impactful Community Parliament capable of shaping the regional agenda and strengthening the link between ECOWAS institutions and the people.
L-R: Justices Yaouza Ouro-Sama, Awa Bah, Désiré Henri Aihou, H.E. Bassirou Diomaye Faye – Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, H.E. Gen. Birame Diop (rtd) – President of the ECOWAS Commission, Justices Charlyne Brumskine and Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu, after the swearing-in of new judges of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja on Tuesday.
First Deputy Speaker and Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, said the visit showed the importance of closer engagement between the legislature and the Authority of Heads of State.
Giving the vote of thanks, Barau said regular interaction would help translate citizens’ aspirations into concrete regional action and strengthen coherence of Community action.
“This visit reinforces our conviction that regular interaction between the Authority of Heads of State and Government and the Parliament can help strengthen the coherence of Community action, the representation of our peoples’ aspirations, and their ownership of the regional integration project,” he said.
He assured Faye of Parliament’s cooperation throughout his tenure as ECOWAS Chairman.
Faye’s engagement at the Parliament formed part of his official visit to Nigeria to meet ECOWAS institutions in Abuja and attend the swearing-in of new judges of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
