Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called for a stronger role for the ECOWAS Parliament in reconnecting the regional integration project with citizens across West Africa.
Faye, Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, said integration could not be sustained by governments and regional institutions alone. He spoke in Abuja during an official visit to the ECOWAS Parliament, where he was received by Speaker Mémounatou Ibrahima and other principal officers.
Describing the parliament as a central platform for regional dialogue, Faye said its representative role was essential to ensuring that citizens were not excluded from decisions affecting the future of the bloc. He pledged continued cooperation with the legislature in advancing the objectives of the community.
The Senegalese leader said conflict prevention, mediation, public enlightenment and institutional cooperation must support the integration process, particularly as West Africa confronts political, security and economic pressures that have tested regional cohesion.
Ibrahima said Faye’s visit underscored the importance of dialogue and citizen participation. She argued that regional integration must become a project shaped by and delivered for West Africans rather than remaining primarily an undertaking of governments.
The Speaker reaffirmed the parliament’s commitment to representative democracy, human rights, peace and security, but said stronger legislative and oversight functions were needed if it was to play a more meaningful role in regional affairs.
First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, said regular engagement between the parliament and the Authority of Heads of State and Government could help convert citizens’ expectations into practical regional action.
Faye’s visit formed part of his engagements with ECOWAS institutions in Abuja and coincided with the swearing in of new judges of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. The meetings highlighted efforts to improve coordination among the political, parliamentary and judicial arms of the regional organization.
