By Alusine Sesay
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Ninety-Sixth Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers opened in Freetown on Thursday, with Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba welcoming delegates and ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray delivering his final address as head of the regional body.
In his opening statement, Minister Kabba, who chairs the Council, hailed the gathering as a “historic moment” for Sierra Leone and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to regional solidarity, peace, democracy, and sustainable development. He urged ministers to confront the challenges facing West Africa with “wisdom, mutual respect, and shared determination.”
Dr. Touray, addressing the Council for the last time in his capacity as ECOWAS Commission President, reflected on his four-year tenure marked by political transitions, security threats, economic uncertainty, and the withdrawal of three member states. He praised the resilience of ECOWAS institutions and highlighted milestones including the operationalisation of the Permanent Representatives Committee, the commissioning of the Mfum-Ekok bridge linking ECOWAS and ECCAS, the launch of the ECOWAS Business Council chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the relocation of the Commission to its new headquarters in Abuja.
“This meeting holds special significance for me, as it is the last Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers that I have the privilege to address,” Dr. Touray said, expressing gratitude to member states and partners for their support. He urged ministers to translate ECOWAS’s shared vision into concrete actions, with deliberations covering digital transformation, investment promotion, trade, agriculture, gender equality, and relations with the Alliance of Sahel States.
The Freetown session precedes the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, where recommendations from the Council will shape decisions on the future of the regional bloc.