Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

ECOWAS was established when the Heads of State and Government of fifteen West African countries signed the ECOWAS Treaty on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, with a mission to promote economic integration and cooperation across the region. Its Commission, transformed from the original ECOWAS Secretariat in 2007, works to achieve a vision of a borderless region where the population has access to abundant resources and opportunities under a sustainable environment. ECOWAS supports regional development through various initiatives, including scholarship and capacity-building programs for citizens of its member states.