The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Nigeria, by signing the ECOWAS treaty. This was done by the leaders of fifteen West African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo.
ECOWAS was created to promote collective self-sufficiency among its member states and form a substantial trading union to enhance economic cooperation.
In 2007, the ECOWAS secretariat transformed into a commission led by the president, supported by a vice president, thirteen commissioners, and the auditor-general of ECOWAS institutions.
As part of its rejuvenation efforts, ECOWAS is actively implementing crucial and strategic programs designed to strengthen unity and gradually remove identified obstacles to full integration.
