The President of the Commission presents the ECOWAS Strategic Plan and the 2022 Annual Report of the Community  to ECOWAS Parliamentarians

In fulfilment of its provisions, the ECOWAS Parliament hosted H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission on Thursday 8 December  for the presentation of the 2022 annual report on the state of the Community and the 4X4 Strategic Plan to Parliamentarians. This activity which took place at the headquarters of the Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria was graced with the presence of Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament is one in the series of events lined up for the 2nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament, which opened since November 29, 2022. 

Two important items featured on the agenda of the ECOWAS parliamentarians’ meeting on Thursday, 8 December. These are  the presentation of the ECOWAS Strategic Plan for the next 4 years and of the 2022 Annual Report on the state of the Community by the President of the ECOWAS Commission.

The session kickstarted with the presentation of Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. After thanking and welcoming the President of the ECOWAS Commission and his delegation, he highlighted the provisions of the rules of procedure of the Parliament, which endorse the day’s activities.

After thanking the parliamentarians, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray began his presentation on the 2022-2026 strategic objectives. He underscored the challenging times marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, security challenges, terrorist threats and constitutional instability in some countries of the Community, as they assumed duty in July 2022. To address this situation, the new management team developed a strategic plan to ensure shared prosperity, the bedrock of ECOWAS existence.

The presentation by the President of the ECOWAS Commission identified  the 4 strategic objectives of ECOWAS for the next 4 years, namely ; 1-/ Enhanced peace and security at the regional level (building capacity for early warning, mediation and support for rapid response, peace and constitution), 2-/ Deeper integration (promoting and strengthening intra-Community trade, free movement and monetary union) 3-/ good governance (establishing a system against unconstitutional changes of government and strengthening democracy), and 4-/ inclusive and sustainable development (strengthening gender, social affairs, energy, infrastructure and environmental programmes).

The President of the Commission identified two key strategic enablers to  facilitate the attainment of the 4 strategic objectives.  These include Capable Institutions Equitable Partnerships.

President Touray’s second presentation was on the state of the Community for 2022. The report focused on the following items: global economic outlook, African economic outlook, ECOWAS economic outlook, main programmes of the Commission and of other institutions. The presentation reveals a downward trend in overall growth in the Community, mainly as spillover effects of COVID-19 and the Russian/Ukrainian crisis

The Community’s growth rate is estimated at 4% in 2022, against 4.2% in 2021. The drop is as a result of the war in Ukraine and  the downturn in world economic growth, surge in world prices, including the rise in food and energy prices as well as security challenges, particularly in the Sahel.

Inflation rate is also on the increase, reaching 11.1% in 2022 against 9.3% in 2021, due to the rise in consumer prices in all regions of the African continent, except for East Africa. The President of the ECOWAS Commission also highlighted major programmes  implemented in the Commission and in other ECOWAS institutions.

The different issues raised by the parliamentarians following the two presentations and the explanations given by the President and Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission were in line with the improved strategic objectives of ECOWAS in order to strengthen the performance of the institutions but also to ensure freedom of movement, security, good governance, economic progress and political stability in Member States.

In his closing remarks, while thanking the President of the ECOWAS Commission and his delegation, Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis reaffirmed the readiness of the ECOWAS Parliament to support the ECOWAS Commission in achieving its results for the happiness and well-being of Community citizens.