Also known as: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament
Regional parliamentary institution serving West African Economic and Monetary Union member states, currently hosting discussions on climate action, disaster preparedness, and regional security.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on ECOWAS Parliament
Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Ghanaian Times
… The meeting brought together all directorates and specialised institutions of the Commission, including the ECOWAS Parliament, the Community Court of Justice, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the West African Health Organisat …
ECOWAS to roll out Gender Equality Seal across institutions next yearJoy Online
… He called for stronger cooperation among Member States, the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Parliament, and Competent National Authorities to address enforcement challenges. …
ECOWAS Court seeks stronger compliance with judgmentsJoy Online
The Parliament of Ghana will today, Tuesday, June 23, reinstate Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin as a member of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament. …
Parliament to reinstate Afenyo-Markin as member of delegation to ECOWAS parliamentDaily Guide
… e sovereignty and resist “unfair external pressures.” He noted that no African country could effectively safeguard its sovereignty in isolation and called for stronger collaboration through regional parliamentary bodies, including the Pan-African Parliament, the ECOWAS Parliament …
Bagbin Slams Foreign Pressure On African Laws, ValuesJoy Online
… On calling for continental action, Mr Bagbin proposed a unified response through an “African Family Values Charter” adopted by regional bodies including the Pan-African Parliament, ECOWAS Parliament, and East African Legislative Assembly. …
Speaker Bagbin urges African Parliaments to protect family, sovereigntyThe Chronicle
… He credited sustained pressure from the Minority Caucus and his intervention at the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja for forcing urgency on the matter. …
Osahen Fires Ministers …Over Early Race To Succeed MahamaThe Ghanaian Times
… Mr Afenyo-Markin (left) ineteracting with some members of the ECOWAS Parliament at the meeting Mr Afenyo-Markin said, “Words delivered from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator. …
Attacks on African migrants in South Africa Move beyond condemnation to action – Minority Leader demands accountability from S.A govtJoy Online
… Speaking under Rule 71 of Parliament’s procedures, which allows statements on matters of public interest, the lawmaker, who is also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, described the situation as “a moment of profound moral reckoning” for West Africa. …
Afenyo-Markin urges ECOWAS action over killings, xenophobia and border barriersSierra Leone's Minority Leader has criticized excessive bureaucracy in global climate-finance systems, arguing that countries bearing the worst impacts of climate change struggle to access funding when needed most. He urged ECOWAS to establish dedicated mechanisms to help member states navigate administrative processes associated with climate funding.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Sierra Leone's Minority Leader has criticized excessive bureaucracy in global climate-finance systems, arguing that countries bearing the worst impacts of climate change struggle to access funding when needed most. He urged ECOWAS to establish dedicated mechanisms to help member states navigate administrative processes associated with climate funding.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Sierra Leone's Minority Leader has urged ECOWAS to move beyond climate conferences and implement enforceable regional laws and practical measures to protect communities from floods, mudslides, and environmental degradation. He argued that member states must strengthen cooperation to address deforestation, overgrazing, and forest destruction, which worsen climate-related impacts.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Sierra Leone's Minority Leader has called on ECOWAS to establish common laws and institutions for disaster preparedness, arguing that member states lack adequate systems to respond to climate-related emergencies such as floods and mudslides. He said the region should develop coordinated emergency-response mechanisms with early-warning systems rather than relying on individual national responses.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Speaker Bagbin has urged the ECOWAS Parliament to adopt direct election of its members to strengthen democratic participation and representation in the 12-member bloc. He argued the reform would bridge the gap between ECOWAS citizens and institutions by giving people a direct role in determining their regional representation.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin handed over his role as head of Ghana's delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament to Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan during the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session. Afenyo-Markin, who remains a delegation member until 2028, urged a people-centred approach to West African integration focused on tangible benefits for citizens and young people.
23 September 2026 · Joy Online →
South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor says the Economic and Organised Crime Office should have approached the Speaker of Parliament before attempting to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court, citing Article 117 of the Constitution and an established protocol between Parliament and law enforcement.
23 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Member of Parliament for South Dayi says parliamentary leaders will resist attempts by law enforcement agencies to bypass the established procedure for arresting MPs, following an attempt by EOCO personnel to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah within the Accra High Court precincts on September 23. Dafeamekpor cited Article 117 of the Constitution and argued that any arrest of a sitting MP should be channelled through the Speaker of Parliament, citing concerns about Ghana's image while hosting an ECOWAS Parliament conference.
23 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has warned that illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) is one of the most serious environmental threats facing West Africa, contributing to water contamination, deforestation, habitat destruction, soil erosion, air pollution, biodiversity loss and health risks, and requiring an integrated regional response.
23 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang called on ECOWAS member states to strengthen cooperation and develop coordinated responses to climate change, environmental degradation, population displacement and insecurity in West Africa.
23 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang addressed ECOWAS Parliament in Accra, calling for greater regional cooperation and investment in vulnerable communities to help West African countries respond to climate change impacts, including disrupted livelihoods and population displacement. She stressed that coordinated regional action, coupled with protection of livelihoods and food security, is essential for promoting peace and stability across the region.
22 September 2026 · Joy Online →
ECOWAS will roll out the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions (GES-PI) initiative next year to strengthen gender mainstreaming across public institutions in the sub-region. The initiative, implemented in partnership with UNDP and GIZ, will assess institutions against internationally recognised standards and implement reforms promoting gender-responsive governance, with the goal of attaining "Gold Seal" certification.
4 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
The President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice called on Member States to translate their commitment to enforcing the Court's judgments into concrete action, citing enforcement as a pressing challenge for the regional judicial system. The call came at the Second Meeting of Competent National Authorities in Cotonou, Benin, which brought together officials from eight West African countries to operationalise mechanisms for enforcing Court judgments.
26 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Parliament will reinstate Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin as a member of Ghana's eight-member delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, replacing Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei who opted out. His earlier presence at the delegation's inauguration in Abuja reportedly caused ECOWAS Parliament to refuse to swear in the entire delegation, prompting the Majority Leader to refer him to the Privileges Committee for investigation.
23 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has condemned external pressure on African countries to alter their laws and cultural values as a condition for receiving development assistance and international cooperation, arguing that conditioning aid on changes to domestic laws violates the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the UN Charter.
4 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
Speaker Bagbin told delegates at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty, and Values in Accra that the family is the foundation of national sovereignty and that laws must reflect African values. He criticized the trend of tying development aid and trade deals to legal frameworks alien to African societies, arguing it violates principles of sovereign equality.
4 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader in Parliament, has accused senior NDC government figures of abandoning governance to position themselves for the 2028 presidential succession race, claiming the competition is distracting ministers from addressing pressing national crises and worsening economic hardships. He cited concerns raised even by the President's Executive Secretary about the early succession campaign.
22 May 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on the South African government to move beyond condemning xenophobic attacks on African migrants and ensure that perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted. Speaking at the ECOWAS Parliament, he demanded the establishment of a Special Committee on the Safety and Protection of ECOWAS Citizens Abroad and a formal statement to the South African government.
8 May 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Ghana's Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged urgent regional action by ECOWAS in response to deadly attacks on West African citizens in the Sahel, xenophobic violence in South Africa, and barriers to free movement across the bloc. He cited a February 2026 attack on Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso and warned that critical food trade routes pass through some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones.
6 May 2026 · Joy Online →