As regional leaders converge in Lagos, Nigeria for the commemorations of the ECOWAS 50th anniversary event, former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has shared exclusive insights into how the idea for the regional bloc was birthed.
In a heartfelt address during the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary celebrations, Gowon, the only surviving signatory of the 1975 ECOWAS Treaty, revealed that the idea stemmed from a shared ambition among West African leaders to overcome colonial divisions that fragmented the region.
He further revealed that following the end of Nigeria’s civil war in 1970, he visited neighboring countries across West Africa to appreciate them for their support.
Gowon said it was during his visit to Togo’s General Gnassingbé Eyadéma that the idea of ECOWAS was birthed.
According to him: “The idea started soon after the civil war when I went on a thank you visit to member States to thank them for their understanding and support, and was also engaged in entering into a similar bilateral agreement with each President and Heads of State of the region then. But with General Gnassingbé Eyadema of Togo, we further discussed extending the idea beyond the bilateral level to what is happening in some parts of the world, e.g., in Europe, EEC, later EU, ECA in East Africa, Africa, and Caribbean organizations.
“We both agreed to get to work at it and got our respective Ministers of Economic and External Affairs to produce a working document for consideration. Prof. Bayo Adedeji and Dr. Arikpo from Nigeria and Mr. Edem Kodjo and another from Togo and their staff set to work, getting other member States involved to produce a working document for consideration.
“Meanwhile, between President Eyadema and me, we were in constant contact with our other colleagues, English and French-speaking President and Heads of State, to get their firm commitment to it, and subsequently, we succeeded in having the ECOWAS program launched on 28th May 1975 in Lagos as Lagos Treaty.”
“The Treaty of Lagos’s primary aim and objective is to promote Economic cooperation and integration between and among the member States, focusing on achieving collective self-sufficiency and improving the citizen’s standard of living – the call for ECOWAS Community of the people not only for its leadership.”
Speaking further during his address at the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary, Gowon said ECOWAS has made significant progress since then.
He pointed out that the regional body had implemented various policies and programs, protocols, and operations to stabilize entities such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau.
He said they have achieved “Trade Liberalization” by introducing policies to reduce trade barriers and promoting intra-regional trade, thus increasing trade among member States and helping to promote economic growth and development.”
He lamented that despite some of the achievements, the bloc has, however, fallen short in certain areas.
He stressed that the regional body is still faced with some formidable challenges, such as security issues like terrorism, kidnapping, various criminal activities, and various ‘ activities of man’s inhumanity to man’.
