ABUJA/Nigeria: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is stepping up efforts to improve cooperation and development in border communities, with 12 member states receiving grants totalling $1.2 million under its Regional Cross-Border Cooperation Support Programme.
The initiative was highlighted at a meeting in Conakry, Guinea, on October 22, where the ECOWAS Commission launched Guinea’s National Platform for the programme, designed to help neighbouring communities and countries address shared challenges through coordinated action.
The programme focuses on strengthening social cohesion, regional integration and sustainable development by encouraging cooperation among border communities, national institutions and local markets.
At the Conakry meeting, Guinea’s Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Guineans Established Abroad, Mariama Bailo-Barry, stressed the importance of cooperation among countries that share borders within the regional bloc.
She said the platform offered Guinea an opportunity to benefit from existing regional initiatives, deepen cooperation with neighbouring countries and pursue practical development opportunities for communities along its borders.
Representing the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, the Director of Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism, Albert Siaw-Boateng, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to using cross-border cooperation to promote lasting peace and shared prosperity.
He emphasised the importance of joint planning, stronger community relationships and coordinated efforts to build a safer and more stable West African region.
Participants at the meeting examined how the national platform would operate, the responsibilities of participating institutions and the identification of practical projects capable of improving livelihoods in border areas.
The discussions also provided an opportunity to advance Framework Cooperation Agreements between the ECOWAS Commission and member states, intended to strengthen institutional collaboration on cross-border initiatives.
The programme’s first phase established national platforms in 12 member states: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Each of the 12 countries subsequently received a grant of $100,000 to support cross-border projects, bringing the total allocation to $1.2 million.
The programme also provides capacity-building, training and public information activities to help institutions and communities improve their understanding and management of cross-border cooperation.
Its wider priorities include migration management, free movement of persons, regional security and stronger legal and institutional arrangements for collaboration among neighbouring countries.
Through technical and financial assistance, ECOWAS aims to help local actors develop socioeconomic projects that respond to shared needs and create opportunities for communities on both sides of national borders.
The initiative forms part of the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Support Programme 2023–2027, which seeks to translate regional integration commitments into practical development interventions.
The long-term impact will depend on how effectively national platforms coordinate local priorities, deploy available resources and deliver projects that produce measurable benefits for border residents.
