Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has urged legal experts from ECOWAS Member States to work towards bequeathing to the Community an acceptable common legal regime with regards to freedom of expression and right to information, as fundamental rights in the region. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission on Tuesday hosted its outgoing President, James Victor Gbeho, to a farewell party which was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of development partners and staff members. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Participants at the 10th annual ECOWAS/International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seminar have called on West African countries to appoint focal points in the relevant ministries and agencies for the effective coordination and implementation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the region. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - New ECOWAS Commission President Kadre Desire Ouedraogo assumed office Thursday with a pledge to work toward the attainment of the dreams of the organization’s founding fathers by making West Africa a leading power for the realization of Africa’s unity. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Ghana will host the second edition of the ECOWAS-China forum from 20-21 March in Accra, during which private-sector operators will seek to develop partnerships in six key areas with Chinese firms, the West African sub-regional body announced here Wednesday. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The new President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, arrived in Abuja Monday to assume duty, 10 days after his appointment by regional leaders for a one-off four-year term, the Commission said in a statement obtained by PANA here Tuesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Observer Mission has declared Sunday's presidential election in Senegal free, transparent and peaceful. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A task force comprising officials of the ECOWAS Commission and their counterparts from the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) working to eliminate impediments to intra-community trade has agreed on a template for four studies intended Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Ahead of Sunday's presidential elections in Senegal, the Joint African Union/ECOWAS High-Level Mission to Senegal was continuing its meetings with key stakeholders in the country on Friday. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Senegal's opposition candidate Idrissa Seck has expressed the hope that the Joint African Union/ECOWAS High-Level Mission to Senegal will help end the political crisis that has plagued the country ahead of Sunday's presidential poll. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The African Union/ECOWAS Joint High-Level Mission to Senegal on Wednesday swung into action, a few hours after arriving in Dakar, to help douse tension ahead of Sunday's presidential election in the West African nation. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Defence chiefs from five ECOWAS Member States are due to meet at the seat of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Thursday preparatory to a full meeting, PANA reported Wednesday. Full text...

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) - Nigerian cyclists have blamed poor preparation, irregular competitions and inadequate feeding during camping for their poor performance at the just-concluded 2nd ECOWAS Cycling Tour. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission on Tuesday appointed former Togolese Prime Minister Kofi Sama as a member of the Joint African Union-ECOWAS High-Level Mission to Senegal, an ECOWAS Commission statement said. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was due in Dakar Tuesday at the head of a joint African Union/ECOWAS High-Level Mission to Senegal, which is mired in crisis ahead of Sunday's presidential election, PANA learnt from Nigerian government sources. Full text...

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) - Five sports will feature in the 2nd edition of the ECOWAS Games, to be held in Ghana in June, according to the Director ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, Mr Francis Njoaguani. Full text...

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) - Burkina Faso's Rasmane Quadraogo has emerged the winner of the 2nd ECOWAS International Cycling Tour, which rounded off in Abidjan, the Ivorian commercial capital, on Sunday. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Burkina Faso's diplomat Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, who was appointed the new ECOWAS Commission President by West African leaders on Friday, is a seasoned diplomat and technocrat, who has held many positions within and outside his country. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The two-day 40th Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) rounded off Friday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, with key decisions taken on the issues of peace and security, regional integration and institutional matters. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - For the first time since the Executive Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was transformed to a Commission about five years ago, the leadership of the Commission has been renewed with the appointment of a new team. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday endorsed the dispatch of a Joint African Union/ECOWAS High-Level Mission, led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, to Senegal, as part of efforts to ensure that its forthcoming presidential election is conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Burkina Faso's Ambassador to Belgium, Mr. Kendre Desire Ouedraogo, has been appointed the President of the ECOWAS commission. Full text...

Adah, Ghana (PANA) - Fulfilling their pre-tour prophecy, Burkinabe Cyclists have continued to dominate the ECOWAS International Cycling Tour, with Rasmane Ouedraogo, winning the second stage on Thursday, PANA reported Friday from Adah, Ghana. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Burkina Faso's Ambassador to Belgium, Mr. Kendre Desire Quedrago, has been appointed the President of the ECOWAS commission. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Mr. Kendre Desire Quedrago, Burkina Faso's current Ambassador to Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The UN is to work with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other organizations to develop a comprehensive anti-piracy strategy, according to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa, Mr. Said Djinnit. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council has approved the release of US$3 million by the ECOWAS Commission to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of food crisis and rebel attacks in the Sahel-Sahara region of West Africa. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Outgoing ECOWAS Chairman, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Thursday took stock of his tenure and declared it a success, despite the numerous challenges faced by the 15-member regional bloc. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The 40th Ordinary Summit of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS opened in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja Thursday with a full agenda that includes the renewal of the mandate of the ECOWAS Commission, about five years after it emerged from the old ECOWAS Secretariat. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - West African leaders who gathered here on Thursday for their 40th ordinary summit, under the aegis of the sub-regional bloc ECOWAS, paid tribute to one of their own, President Bacai Sanha of Guinea Bissau, who died early January at the age of 64. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The 40th ordinary summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opened Thursday in Nigeria's capital city, Abuja, with the presidents of eight of the 15-member States in attendance. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Chair of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, has called on Member States to work together in dealing with the heightened security concerns confronting the region, including terrorism, piracy and the fallout of the Arab Spring in North Africa. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission has commended Cote d’Ivoire for putting up a gallant performance against winners Zambia in the final match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament, held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Exulting in the dominance of West African teams at the ongoing 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the ECOWAS Commission Friday congratulated the teams for their 'sterling performances' that saw three of the teams making the semi-finals and one reaching the final. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - An ECOWAS fact-finding mission is due to arrive in Mali on Thursday for a three-day assessment of the situation in the northern part of the country, where a Tuareg rebellion that started last month has killed many and displaced thousands, a source at the regional bloc told PANA here Wednesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - ECOWAS is sending a fact-finding mission to Mali, where a Tuareg rebellion has left many dead and displaced, a source told PANA in Lagos on Wednesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - No fewer than 250 cyclists from the 15-member nations of ECOWAS will take part in the second ECOWAS International Cycling Tour which will flag off on 15 February from Lagos, Nigeria. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The President of the ECOWAS Commission, James Victor Gbeho, has paid glowing tributes to the institution’s pioneer Commissioners and Vice-President for contributing to the admirable international image of the organization, advancing the cause of regional integration and accelerating the development of West Africa. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission supports ongoing efforts by the government of Cote d’Ivoire for the return of the headquarters of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to Abidjan, following its temporary relocation to Tunis over the political crisis in the country. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Five Ambassadors have been accredited as Permanent Representatives of their countries to the ECOWAS Commission, the Commission said in a statement issued here Thursday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Six new ECOWAS Commissioners on Wednesday assumed duty at the Commission, replacing some of the pioneer Commissioners whose four-year tenure ended on 31 Jan. 2012. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission on Friday expressed ''serious concern'' over the rising tension among political parties and citizens in Senegal, ahead of the country's presidential elections next month. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Commission on Wednesday condemned the recent terrorist attacks which have claimed scores of lives in different parts of Nigeria, thereby aggravating insecurity among both citizens and visitors. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President and ECOWAS Chairman Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday called for an orderly transition of power in Guinea Bissau, following the death of the country's President, Malam Bacai Sanha. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Wednesday expressed 'grave concern' over Monday's attacks on the headquarters of the Armed Forces of Guinea Bissau by dissident troops. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - New ECOWAS Commissioners are due to assume office 1 Feb. 2012, replacing the first set of Commissioners who took office following the transformation of the Executive Secretariat into a Commission in 2007 as part of the restructuring of the organization. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Council of Ministers has requested the Heads of State and Government of the regional bloc to issue fresh guidelines that will help break the deadlock in the negotiations between the region and the European Union (EU) for a free trade area of West Africa and the EU. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - ECOWAS Commission President James Victor Gbeho has urged countries in the region to adopt preventive measures to avoid the contagion of the global economic crises in the advanced countries of the world. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers is due to open Monday in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, the seat of the regional bloc, to consider the outcome of the last Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting on the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between West Africa and the European Union as a key agenda item. Full text...

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The 11th Meeting of the joint ECOWAS-UEMOA Committee for the Management of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) opened in Cotonou, Benin Republic, Monday to review the draft CET Nomenclature, based on the 2012 version of the Harmonized System and the draft ECOWAS CET prepared by the two regional blocs in Banjul, The Gambia, last April. Full text...