News:
April 22, 2025
The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has announced one thousand (1000) scholarship opportunity to tertiary students from the ECOWAS sub-region to study in universities in Ghana.
The gesture, according to President John Mahama who disclosed this at the launch of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, is beyond strengthening bonds – “this is not just a gesture, it is an act of solidarity; it is a bridge to our future, where our young people would grow up seeing each other not as foreigners but as partners”.
He said the anniversary launch is not just a celebration but a solemn moment of reflection on our collective journey and an invitation to renew our commitment to the principles that have bound us together for half a century in unity peace and regional integration and above all diplomacy as our guiding compass.
The President of Ghana affirmed that the founding fathers of ECOWAS chose the path of cooperation over competition and rivalry; stating that their vision was clear – one to pursue development not as isolated nations, but as a united community.
This, he noted, has ensured that ECOWAS has grown into becoming key diplomatic and political force in Africa. Through consistent engagement, dialogue and mediation, our community has earned a reputation as a trusted arbiter in conflict prevention and resolution as evident in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, as well as preventing electoral violence in Togo, and Ivory Coast. “We must not take this legacy lightly; it is one we must protect; it is one we must deepen and refine in the face of new and emerging challenges”.
He bemoaned the growing insecurity in the sub-region particularly violent extremism, political instability, economic disparities and climate vulnerabilities in the Sahel region; stating that in moments like these, diplomacy and solidarity must remain the first and strongest line of defense.
President Mahama described as regrettable the decision by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to withdraw from ECOWAS; but calls for continuous engagement with the Sahel countries, adding that unity, however difficult remains the best pack to share prosperity and regional stability.
“Ghana stands ready to serve as a bridge to help re-knit the fabrics of African unity through sustained dialogues, patient diplomacy, and principled negotiations”.
Ghanamps.com