Ghana to host extraordinary meeting of Council of Ministers of ECOWAS at 50th Anniversary launch

Ghana will host an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS next week, April 22-23, as part of the 50th Anniversary launch of the Community in Accra. 

The anniversary launch would not merely be a ceremonial event  but a strategic opportunity to celebrate the achievements chalked by the sub-regional bloc over the past five decades. 

The meeting will be attended by all Foreign Affairs and Finance Ministers of member states to deliberate on the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger (Alliance of Sahelian States) from ECOWAS and prepare a comprehensive report for the consideration of Heads of State. 

It will take place immediately after the launch of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee celebration at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday, April 22. 

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced this at a news conference on Thursday, to update the public on preparations towards the launch of the 50th Anniversary. 

It is expected to commence at 1100 hours and set the tone for a year-long celebration across all member states. 

The theme and anniversary logo for the celebration would be unveiled during the launch, the Minister said. 

 President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, will attend. 

All the heads of state of ECOWAS are expected to attend the Golden Jubilee launch in Accra, as well as representatives of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger who recently exited the sub-regional bloc. 

“It is a great pride to our nation that ECOWAS has chosen Ghana to host the launch event for the ECOWAS@50 celebration,” Mr Ablakwa said. 

“The honour done our nation is most befitting and well-deserved considering that Ghana has long emerged as the cradle of Pan-Africanism, the pioneers of African Unity and the champions of regional integration.” 

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established on May 28, 1975, to drive regional integration through harmonisation of policies. 

It is also to pool resources and ensure cooperation for a collective and stategic combat against the myriad of challenges confronting the sub-region. 

Source: GNA 

The post Ghana to host extraordinary meeting of Council of Ministers of ECOWAS at 50th Anniversary launch appeared first on Ghana Business News.

Read Full Story