News:
May 13, 2025
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has shown that the World and Africa that free movement can work hence regional cooperation is not only possible, but powerful.
Madam Adaeze Molokwu, programme officer of the African Union Commission (AU) remarked at the Labour Migration Strategy launch on Tuesday, 13 May 2025 noted that this deepens that legacy, and takes the ideals of free movement and roots them in the realities of labour markets, social protection, and decent work.
“It answers the pressing questions, how do we protect migrant workers’ rights; how do we match skills with demand; and how do we make mobility safe, fair, and productive for all?”
This strategy reflects the synergy between freedom and responsibility, between movement and management, and between opportunity and protection.
According to the World Migration Report, there are 21 million Africans living in another African country in 2020, up from 18 million recorded in 2015. This shows steady increase in intra-regional migration over the past decades. Historically, migration has provided an opportunity for Africans to access enhanced
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Agenda 2063.The AU-ILO-IOM-ECA Joint Programme on Labour, Migration, Governance for Development and Integration in Africa (JLMP), signed by African Union Heads of State in 2015, aims to improve labour migration governance to achieve safe, orderly and regular migration in the continent.
It is through the JLMP that various initiatives have been rolled out to support RECs and Member States towards improving policy coherence, partnerships, and coordination between different stakeholders at national, regional and continental levels with the aim of supporting targeted labour migration and employment policies.
Now is the moment to act and this call for action:
* To ECOWAS Member States: Breathe life into this strategy. Harmonize national policies. Strengthen institutions. And most importantly, ensure that migrant workers are treated with the dignity, protection, and opportunity they deserve. Ensure full implementation of the ECOWAS Rights of entry, residence and establishment, in line with Abuja Treaty. (Given ECOWAS’ experience on free movement, we implore you to lead by example in ratifying the African Union Protocol on Free Movement, which up till now has only 4 ratifications.)
* To Employers and the Private Sector: Be champions of fair recruitment. Invest in skills development. Build inclusive labour markets where diversity drives growth.
* To Civil Society, Trade Unions, and Community Leaders: Keep the human face of migration front and centre. Be the voice for the voiceless, and the bridge between policy and people.
* To Development Partners and International Allies: Align with Africa’s vision. Support us with respect, flexibility, and a shared sense of purpose.
* And to my fellow African Union colleagues Let us build on the ECOWAS example. Let us work toward a continent where mobility is well governed, mutually beneficial, and anchored in our shared values and goals.
Let us walk boldly, as one region, one people, toward the Africa We Want—an Africa of free movement, decent work, social justice, and inclusive growth.
As we celebrate ECOWAS’s achievements, let us match them with action and acknowledge the progress, let us accelerate the pace, she concluded.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com