ECOWAS Parliament Passes 418,062,927UA 2025 Community Budget As EcoParl Gets 18,696,897 UA
…Urges Extension of Deadline for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s Exit
The ECOWAS Parliament has passed a community budget of 418,062,927 Units of Account (UA) for 2025, with the parliament itself receiving 18,696,897 UA, a 19.5% decrease from the previous year’s budget.
The decision was made during the Ninth Meeting of the Bureau of Parliament, which also expressed a strong desire to extend the deadline for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to leave the ECOWAS Community, currently scheduled for January 29, 2025.
The Bureau’s primary objective is to provide room for further reflections and negotiations, ultimately avoiding the disintegration of the region. As stated by the Bureau, “the Authority of Heads of State and Government should deploy an extra-ordinary measure that will extend the deadline… to give room for further reflections and negotiations.” This move is seen as a crucial step in maintaining regional stability and promoting economic growth.
The community budget also allocates 221,780,096 UA to the ECOWAS Commission and its agencies, a downward revision of 1.4% from the previous year. In contrast, the budget for the West African Health Organization (WAHO) increased by 14.21% from its 2024 budget to 71,596,777 UA. This increase is expected to have a significant impact on the region’s healthcare sector, enabling WAHO to implement more projects and programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of West Africans.
In addition to the budget, the Bureau gave a favoruable opinion on ten other Community Acts referred to Parliament by the ECOWAS Commission, covering diverse fields such as energy, transport, water resources, information technology, and education. These Acts are expected to have a significant impact on the region, promoting economic growth, social development, and regional integration. For instance, the Act on Energy aims to promote the development of renewable energy sources, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and increase energy access to rural communities.
The ECOWAS Parliament has also emphasized the importance of women’s participation in decision-making processes, highlighting the benefits of inclusive governance and the need to address the existing gender gap in politics.
The Programme for Women’s Political Participation in Africa pleaded with the Bureau to facilitate the Community Parliament’s ability to encourage greater involvement of women in political governance around the sub-region. This is in line with the ECOWAS Parliament’s commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering women to take on leadership roles.
The ECOWAS Parliament has a total of 115 seats, with each Member State guaranteed a minimum of five seats. Nigeria has the largest number of seats, with 35, followed by Ghana with eight seats. The remaining seats are distributed in proportion to the population of each country. This ensures that each Member State has a fair representation in the Parliament, enabling them to participate fully in the decision-making process.