Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a flag-raising ceremony on May 28, 2025, to mark 50 years since the founding of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Government officials gathered to remember Liberia’s early role in building ECOWAS and to celebrate continued cooperation among West African nations, according to an official press-release.
Josephine Nkrumah, ECOWAS Ambassador in Liberia, thanked Liberia for helping build unity and trust in the region. She called on all members to keep working together for a stronger West Africa. Deputy Foreign Minister Deweh Gray said Liberia’s history with ECOWAS includes supporting peace projects and working on economic and policy changes that help all member states.
For those present, the ceremony served as a reminder that ECOWAS is more than an organization—it’s a partnership built over years of shared work. As ECOWAS moves forward, Liberia said it plans to stay engaged and keep building on regional progress.
The anniversary was a moment to look back, but also to focus on practical next steps for working together across West Africa.
Established on May 28 1975 via the treaty of Lagos, ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries. Member countries making up ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states. As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation.
