Accra to Host Official Launch of ECOWAS 50th Anniversary on April 22, with President Mahama Leading Ceremony
Accra Set for Major Regional Event as ECOWAS Marks 50 Years
Ghana’s capital, Accra, will take center stage in West Africa on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, as it hosts the official launch of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The commemorative event will be presided over by President John Dramani Mahama, who will formally unveil activities marking 50 years of ECOWAS—a major milestone for the regional bloc.
The launch is expected to attract ministers and senior officials from all 15 ECOWAS Member States, positioning Accra as a vibrant hub for diplomacy, culture, and regional unity. The city will be adorned in ECOWAS colors and symbolism, setting the tone for a year-long celebration that will roll out across all member countries.
In an official statement, ECOWAS confirmed:
“The President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani MAHAMA, will kick off the activities planned as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS.”
A Celebration of Legacy and Unity
The launch event will showcase a series of cultural and artistic performances, including the unveiling of the official Golden Jubilee logo and theme. Audiences will be taken on a journey through ECOWAS’s history—from its founding in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 28, 1975, to its present-day achievements in regional integration, peacekeeping, and economic development.
Performances and presentations will highlight key reforms and milestones, reinforcing ECOWAS’s status as one of Africa’s most robust and functional regional economic communities.
Ahead of the celebrations, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government encouraged high-profile visibility of the anniversary across all Member States. In response, the Administrative and Financial Committee met virtually in February 2025 to approve a detailed calendar of events that will span the rest of the year.
As Accra prepares to welcome the region, residents in Kumasi and across Ghana are expected to follow the celebrations with great interest, reflecting national pride in Ghana’s central role within ECOWAS over the past five decades.
