The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has advocated collaboration with civil society groups to deliver on its Vision 2050 goals of peace, prosperity, and regional integration.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, made the call on Tuesday during an Oxfam/Partners and ECOWAS Strategic Meeting in Abuja.
Touray stressed the need for stronger collaboration in areas such as civic inclusion, governance, peace, security, economic integration, and climate justice.
He highlighted the five pillars of Vision 2050 to include peace, security, governance, economic integration, sustainable development, and social inclusion.
Touray said that Civil Society Organisations have a critical role to play in popularizing, owning and implementing the regional body’s programmes.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission said the bloc was determined to actualise its four key strategic objectives under its ‘4 by 4 Agenda’:
“This entails enhancing peace and security, deepening governance, promoting inclusive and sustainable development, and accelerating regional integration.
“These align with Oxfam’s advocacy areas, making the partnership mutually beneficial.
“There is urgent need to curb terrorism, strengthen community early warning systems, address infrastructure and energy gaps, and break down non-tariff barriers that hinder free movement and trade within the bloc,” Touray said.
He also urged joint efforts to tackle disinformation, which he described as a growing security threat in West Africa.
On climate justice, he said that climate financing was not a charity but ‘a necessity in our common interest,’
He, therefore, urged civil society groups to help amplify the voices of vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.
“This collaboration is important because peace and prosperity in the region cannot be achieved without the active participation of civil society,” the ECOWAS President said.
He assured Oxfam of the commission’s readiness to pursue concrete, practical programmes together.
Earlier, John Makina, Country Director Oxfam in Nigeria, said that both ECOWAS and Oxfam shared common goals which included reducing poverty and inequality, promoting sustainable development and enhancing regional cooperation.
“Oxfam is also working to address issues around poverty, inequality, issues around injustices, and promoting economic inclusion, climate change, and accountability.
“The work that we are doing within Oxfam is cutting across a number of areas. So within the West African region, there is Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana.
“Together, ECOWAS and Oxfam with her partners can amplify the voices of marginalised communities and promote policies that benefit the most venerable,” Makina said.
He, therefore, urged ECOWAS to foster partnerships with civil society organisations, private sector and the media to promote ECOWAS’ regional integration agenda
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Rafsanjani assured the gathering of the organisation’ s commitment to support ECOWAS.
“Peace and security is one critical issue that is facing the region. There is no way we in the civil society will not give our support to the community to ensure that that is done.
“We also know that one of the visions of ECOWAS is to ensure that the economic sustainability and reliance of the region is achieved.
“CISLAC, through its works around tax justice, will continue to collaborate and work with ECOWAS and Oxfam to ensure that is also done,” he said.
