ECOWAS Boosts Communication Skills for Vision 2050

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a four-day retreat and capacity-building workshop in Banjul, the Gambia, for communication officers from the ECOWAS Commission, its institutions, and agencies.

Organized by the ECOWAS Directorate of Communication in partnership with GIZ,  a German development agency that provides services in international development cooperation, the workshop aims to sharpen participants’ expertise in strategic, digital, and impact-driven communications. A key objective is to lay the foundation for a robust ECOWAS Communication Strategy that aligns with the ambitious ECOWAS Vision 2050.

During his opening remarks, Mr. Abdou Kolley, Director of Cabinet, Office of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized that the retreat “marks a major milestone in our collective journey.”

He noted that it builds upon the progress made during the last Communications Retreat in Lagos in 2024, moving the initiative into a new phase focused on developing a comprehensive communication strategy fully aligned with Vision 2050.

In a goodwill message, the German Ambassador to The Gambia, H.E. Klaus Botzet, highlighted the retreat’s strong connection to ECOWAS’s regional integration agenda.

Declaring the retreat officially open on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Omar Touray, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in the Gambia, H.E. Miatta Lily French, described the gathering as “not merely a training program but a strategic turning point, and a moment to re-imagine, re-examine and recalibrate how ECOWAS communicates to the world.”