By Gloria Ikibah
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, has described Ghana’s decision to elect a woman as Vice-President as an inspiration for women and girls across West Africa.
Speaker Ibrahima stated this when she met Ghana’s Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, on the sidelines of the ongoing Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and the Second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar in Accra. 
She expressed appreciation to the Vice-President for receiving her and for the speech she delivered at the opening of the parliamentary proceedings.
Ibrahima also commended President John Dramani Mahama and the people of Ghana, saying the country’s choice to have a woman occupy the vice presidency sent an important message across the region.
She said: “By entrusting the vice presidency to a woman, Ghana sends a powerful message to our entire region: that Africa believes in women’s leadership. Her journey is an inspiration to millions of young girls”.
The meeting also focused on the 25th anniversary of the ECOWAS Parliament and its core responsibilities, including issuing opinions on matters referred to it, examining the Community’s budget and conducting oversight missions.
The two leaders further discussed issues affecting young people across the region, particularly the harmonisation of curricula and mutual recognition of academic diplomas among ECOWAS member states.
Ibrahima said making it possible for qualifications obtained in one ECOWAS country to be recognised in another will strengthen regional integration and make free movement more meaningful.
She said a graduate from Lomé, Abuja or Dakar should be able to have their skills recognised in Accra, describing such recognition as an important step towards building an ECOWAS of the Peoples.
The Speaker thanked the Ghanaian authorities for their hospitality and the organisation of the parliamentary session.
The meeting forms part of the ECOWAS Parliament’s engagement with regional leaders as the institution marks its 25th anniversary and pursues integration priorities, including youth mobility and the recognition of academic qualifications across West Africa.
Rt. Hon. Ibrahima is the first woman to serve as Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament since its establishment in 2000, having been elected to lead the sixth legislature in May 2024.
