MON FEB 23 2026-theGBJournal| Regional integration took centre stage in Nigeria’s capital on Monday, as the 2026 First Extraordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament (ECOWAS Parliament) opened amid growing anxieties over democratic backsliding across West Africa.
With military takeovers, constitutional disputes and electoral tensions casting long shadows over parts of the sub-region, lawmakers gathered with a renewed sense of urgency to defend democratic norms while deepening economic and political cooperation.
The session commenced with a Parliamentary seminar themed ‘Deepening regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and challenges for expanding intra-community trade within the ECOWAS region.’
And Nigeria, as the bloc’s largest economy and traditional stabilising force, is positioning itself at the forefront of efforts to recalibrate the region’s integration agenda.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, made a presentation that underscored the democratic challenges the bloc faces-from instability and constitutional disruption, and the need for tighter cooperation.
”For only through unity can we secure our markets. Only through solidarity can we defend our democracy. Only through integration can we safeguard our prosperity. The lesson of history is unmistakable: regions that cooperate endure; those that fragment decline.
He equally urged member nations to ensure ”that West Africa is not merely a marketplace for others, but a marketplace of its own making — productive, competitive, and respected. Only then can we shape our world and secure not only our present stability, but the dignity and destiny of generations yet unborn.”
The session opens at a critical juncture for West Africa, where citizens are increasingly demanding transparent governance, credible elections and economic opportunity.
From trade liberalisation and free movement protocols to collective security arrangements, Abuja signalled that safeguarding democracy must go hand in hand with strengthening institutional ties within the Economic Community of West African States.
Officials stressed that integration without democratic accountability risks eroding public trust and weakening the legitimacy of regional institutions.
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