The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Alieu Touray, was in Abidjan on 8 April to meet Style”, serif"> Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group. It was for a technical session on the state of regional integration in the West African

The meeting was organized in response to a request from the Committee on Operations and Development Effectiveness (CODE), a subsidiary body of the Boards of administration, following its meeting on the 2024 mid-term review of the Regional Integration Strategy Paper (RSIR). The discussions at the meeting focused on how to advance regional integration, taking into account recent developments and ongoing dynamics in the West African region

Bank Group management presented the strengths, opportunities and operational constraints in West Africa on the occasion. Then she noted that West Africa is “the economic engine of the continent, accounting for 27% of Africa's total GDP, or about 700 billion dollars. It is the best performer in Africa's regional integration index and, despite the challenges, it can effectively position itself for the African continental free trade area.”

On the occasion, Touray reported on recent developments in the region and how the ECOWAS Commission and its members are addressing current challenges. He emphasized the importance of solidarity, stressing that ECOWAS welcomes all countries in the region and beyond and will collaborate with them