In
a
powerful
address
that
could
reshape
the
future
of
West
African
regional
cooperation,
Alexander
Afenyo-Markin,
Deputy
Speaker
of
the
ECOWAS
Parliament,
delivered
a
compelling
call
for
reform
at
the
closing
session
of
the
parliamentary
meeting
in
Abuja
on
July
13,
2024.
The
Effutu
MP,
who
doubles
as
the
Majority
Leader
in
Ghana’s
Parliament,
highlighted
critical
shortcomings
in
the
current
structure
of
ECOWAS
and
proposed
sweeping
changes
to
enhance
the
parliament’s
role
and
effectiveness
in
driving
regional
integration.
The
Economic
Community
of
West
African
States
(ECOWAS)
Parliament,
established
as
a
forum
for
dialogue,
consultation,
and
consensus
for
representatives
of
the
people
of
West
Africa,
has
long
been
viewed
as
a
primarily
advisory
body.
However,
Afenyo-Markin’s
speech
on
Saturday
at
the
ongoing
First
Ordinary
Session
of
ECOWAS
Parliament
in
Nigeria’s
Federal
Capital,
challenged
this
perception,
arguing
for
a
more
empowered
and
influential
parliamentary
role
within
the
regional
bloc.
“Parliament
was
not
just
created
as
an
organ
of
ECOWAS
to
play
a
mere
advisory
role,
a
deliberative
chamber
without
powers,”
Afenyo-Markin
asserted,
setting
the
tone
for
his
reform
agenda.
He
emphasised
that
a
more
robust
parliament
would
accelerate
the
achievement
of
ECOWAS’s
goals
and
serve
as
a
vital
link
between
the
organisation
and
the
citizens
it
represents.
The
Deputy
Speaker,
who
presided
over
Saturday’s
session
of
the
6th
legislature
of
the
regional
bloc,
identified
two
critical
issues
hampering
ECOWAS’s
effectiveness:
a
widespread
lack
of
awareness
about
the
organisation’s
activities
and
a
concerning
absence
of
synergy
and
collaboration
among
its
various
organs.
These
problems,
he
argued,
have
led
to
a
disconnect
between
ECOWAS
initiatives
and
the
very
people
they
are
meant
to
serve.
Drawing
from
his
background
in
the
private
sector,
Afenyo-Markin
shared
a
personal
revelation:
“Until
recently,
I
did
not
know
a
lot
of
the
interventions
that
some
development
financial
institutions
established
by
ECOWAS
have
for
the
ordinary
citizen
of
ECOWAS.”
This
admission
underscored
the
urgent
need
for
better
communication
and
outreach
strategies.
The
lack
of
awareness
extends
beyond
the
general
public
to
the
business
community,
particularly
in
crucial
sectors
like
agriculture.
Afenyo-Markin
pointed
out,
“There
are
a
lot
of
businesses
in
the
agri-sector
who
are
looking
for
chief
funding,
but
how
to
tap
the
[ECOWAS
Bank
for
Investment
and
Development
(EBID)
facility
is
a
problem
they
don’t
even
know.”
This
disconnect
between
available
resources
and
potential
beneficiaries
highlights
a
significant
obstacle
to
economic
development
in
the
region.
The
Deputy
Speaker
didn’t
shy
away
from
criticising
the
current
organisational
structure
of
ECOWAS,
stating,
“There
is
a
commission
sitting
somewhere
and
parliament
sitting
somewhere.
We
are
acting
in
silos.”
He
called
for
a
more
integrated
approach,
suggesting
that
the
parliament
could
serve
as
“the
best
mouthpiece,
the
PR
organ
of
the
community
body.”
Afenyo-Markin’s
vision
for
reform
extends
to
the
parliament’s
role
in
addressing
political
crises
within
the
region.
With
several
member
states
threatening
to
leave
the
bloc,
he
argued
that
“a
strong
parliament…
would
give
meaning
to
the
community’s
aspiration”
and
could
play
a
crucial
role
in
maintaining
regional
stability.
The
speech
also
highlighted
a
stark
example
of
the
parliament’s
current
marginalisation.
Recounting
a
recent
emergency
meeting
of
ECOWAS
heads
of
state,
Afenyo-Markin
noted
that
the
Speaker
of
the
ECOWAS
Parliament
was
relegated
to
a
back
seat
and
denied
the
opportunity
to
address
the
gathering,
unlike
other
commission
heads
and
even
a
UN
Special
Envoy.
This
incident,
he
suggested,
underscores
the
urgent
need
for
“radical
reforms…
in
terms
of
the
protocols.”
As
the
meeting
adjourned,
Afenyo-Markin
laid
out
the
next
steps
for
the
parliament,
announcing
an
upcoming
interactive
session
with
the
ECOWAS
Commission,
focusing
on
the
implementation
of
programmes
in
economic
affairs,
agriculture,
infrastructure,
energy,
and
digitalisation.
The
Deputy
Speaker’s
closing
remarks
left
no
doubt
about
the
scale
of
the
challenge
ahead:
“I
think
that
this
parliament
has
a
unique
opportunity
to
lead
that
reform
and
let’s
take
that
on
board.”
His
words
set
the
stage
for
what
could
be
a
transformative
period
in
ECOWAS’s
history,
with
the
potential
to
reshape
regional
governance
and
cooperation
in
West
Africa.
As
the
plenary
of
the
ECOWAS
Parliament
prepares
to
reconvene
on
July
15,
2024,
all
eyes
will
be
on
how
these
proposed
reforms
take
shape
and
whether
they
can
indeed
strengthen
the
organization’s
impact
on
the
lives
of
West
African
citizens.
The
coming
months
may
prove
crucial
in
determining
whether
ECOWAS
can
evolve
into
a
more
responsive,
effective,
and
truly
representative
body
for
the
region’s
400 million people.