By Gloria Ikibah
President of Senegal and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has described the ECOWAS Parliament as central to the region’s integration efforts, saying its role in representation and citizen participation remains crucial.
Faye stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when he paid an official visit to the ECOWAS Parliament, where he was received by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, and other senior officials of the regional legislature.
The visit formed part of Faye’s engagements in Abuja as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority. His wider visit to the Nigerian capital included engagements with the bloc’s principal institutions.
Faye described the Parliament as the “hub of regional dialogue” and a key institution for strengthening “institutional cooperation and citizen participation in the regional integration process.”
According to him, the visit provided an opportunity to engage directly with the leadership and members of the Community Parliament.
The Senegalese President reaffirmed his support for the Parliament and recognised its importance as a forum for ensuring citizens’ involvement in the regional integration process.
He assured the Parliament of his continued support and expressed his readiness to work with the institution in advancing the objectives of the Community.
Faye also stressed the importance of pursuing regional integration through efforts to prevent conflicts, support mediation, raise public awareness and promote stability across West Africa.
He urged staff of the Parliament to continue serving the Community with greater dedication.
In her welcome address, Speaker Ibrahima described the Chairman’s presence in the parliamentary chamber as an important moment in the history of the institution.
She noted that Senegal’s longstanding tradition of dialogue, public debate and political participation resonated with the vocation of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Ibrahima emphasised that regional integration should not remain merely a project of States, but should become a work of citizens and for citizens.
She also highlighted the Parliament’s commitment to representative democracy, human rights, peace and security, while drawing attention to the need to strengthen its legislative and oversight functions.
The Speaker called for a stronger, more representative and more impactful Community Parliament.
Giving the vote of thanks, First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Jibrin Barau, expressed appreciation for Faye’s visit.
Barau said regular interaction between the Authority of Heads of State and Government and the Parliament would strengthen efforts to translate the aspirations of the people of the Community into concrete action.
He assured the ECOWAS Chairman of the Parliament’s full cooperation throughout his tenure, adding that his presence carried profound significance and reflected the importance he attached to dialogue among the institutions of the Community and, in particular, to the place of Parliament in building an ECOWAS that is closer to its citizens.
“We greatly appreciated the attention you devoted to our Institution, your Institution. 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.
“We also regard this visit as an encouragement to pursue, with realism and responsibility, our reflection on the progressive strengthening of Parliament’s role and on the conditions required to forge closer ties between our institution and the citizens of the Community,” Barau said.
Faye’s engagement with the Parliament comes as ECOWAS continues efforts to strengthen its institutions and deepen regional cooperation. The bloc’s principal institutions, including the Commission, Parliament and Court of Justice, are based in Abuja.
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