Ghana inaugurates committee to strengthen ECOWAS integration

Story by: Regina Bless

Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has inaugurated the National Consultative Committee on Regional Integration (NCCRI) to strengthen the country’s engagement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and ensure that regional integration delivers tangible benefits to citizens.

The inauguration took place on Friday, October 16, 2026, as part of efforts to improve national coordination in implementing ECOWAS decisions, policies and programmes.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Ablakwa stressed the need for stronger collaboration among Ministries, Departments, Agencies and other stakeholders to advance Ghana’s regional integration agenda.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to regional integration, describing it as essential to the country’s prosperity, security and development.

While acknowledging ECOWAS’s achievements in promoting free movement, trade liberalisation and regional cooperation, the Minister called for greater attention to the everyday challenges facing traders, entrepreneurs and travellers, particularly at border crossings.

He urged stakeholders to adopt practical measures to improve movement across the sub-region and ensure that Ghana derives greater commercial and developmental benefits from its contributions to ECOWAS.

The NCCRI will serve as the central national platform for strategic guidance on regional integration. Its responsibilities include facilitating information sharing, monitoring the implementation of ECOWAS policies, reviewing Ghana’s commitments, addressing implementation gaps and responding to concerns raised by citizens and businesses.

The Committee will also coordinate preparations for ECOWAS meetings to ensure Ghana’s positions and interests are effectively represented.

Mr Ablakwa noted that the Committee’s work would be supported by two complementary structures inaugurated earlier in the week: the Sector Programming Committee (SPC), which will provide technical input on sectoral policies and programmes, and the Community Levy and Finance Committee (CLFC), which will address financial matters.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Francis Danti Kotia, Coordination Director for Multilateral and International Organisations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the inauguration as a significant milestone in addressing coordination gaps in Ghana’s regional integration efforts.

He highlighted the potential of regional integration to expand trade, facilitate the movement of people, improve access to resources and strengthen cooperation among member states.

The establishment of the NCCRI is expected to enhance coordination among national institutions and help translate Ghana’s ECOWAS commitments into practical benefits for citizens and businesses.