Weeks after Liberia locally launched its bid for a non-permanent member seat on the UN Security Council, discussions are underway for the country to launch its bid to host an ECOWAS institution here locally.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Capitol Hill, February 28, 2025/ Bomi County Senator Edwin M. Snowe has begun rallying support of colleagues at the Senate to work with relevant government ministries and agencies to ensure that Liberia bids to host some of ECOWAS’ institutions.
Sen. Snowe’s appeal was contained in a communication to Presiding Officer and Grand Bassa County Sen. Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence on Thursday, February 27, in open session.
The Bomi County Senator argued that the withdrawal of Burkin Faso, Niger and Mali from the regional body has left institutions hosted by those countries in limbo.
In January of 2024, Military Authorities in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS.
Snowe stated that the withdrawal of the three countries has also affected the jobs of about 130 ECOWAS staff who are citizens of those countries, suggesting that bidding to host some, if not all, of those institutions could help create jobs for Liberians here.
According to him, currently, ECOWAS provides 77 jobs from Burkina Faso, 23 from Mali and 32 from Niger. The institutions currently being hosted in those countries are the West African Health Organization (WAHO) in Burkina Faso, ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) also in Burkina Faso, ECOWAS Regional Animal Health Centre in Mali, and regional offices in the three Member States.
“Madam President Pro-Tempore and distinguished colleagues, while we hopefully anticipate that authorities in the three Member States will reconsider their decision to withdraw from the community, we equally believe that should the withdrawal goes through, Liberia is in the best position to bid for the hosting of one of the affected ECOWAS institutions or agencies, or benefit from some of the programs and projects that could be stalled as a result of their withdrawal” Senator Snowe argued.
He further mentioned that in addition to the leadership that Liberia would assume by hosting an ECOWAS institution or agency, the country would benefit from jobs that would contribute immensely to its economic development.
” In view of the forgoing, I therefore, respectfully request Plenary to mandates the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways, Means & Finance to work with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance & Development Planning to achieve this goal of Liberia being a host of, if not all, but one of these ECOWAS institutions and/or agencies that would help provide jobs for Liberians, thereby contributing to economic development,” he explained.
Sen. Snowe also informed the Plenary that he had written to Foreign Minister Sara Beyslow Nyanti and Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan on October 9, 2024, as part of efforts to help secure a national interest in officially launching Liberia’s bid.
Snowe noted that in his communication to both Foreign Minister Beyslow-Nyanti and Finance Minister Ngafuan, he urged them, as members of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, to give due consideration to this proposal and, if necessary, initiate the process of organizing Liberia’s bid and lobbying efforts in this regard.
Senator Snowe further informed the Plenary that the Minister of Foreign Affairs informed him on Thursday, October 31, 2024, that the concept of hosting has already been introduced to ECOWAS on an unofficial level.
However, she stated that Liberia could not proceed with an official bid until the ongoing negotiations between ECOWAS and the three countries involved were concluded.
Expanding on the consequences of the three Member States’ withdrawal, he lamented that this could result in the halt of all ECOWAS Projects/ Programs in those countries worth millions of United States dollars, including the Regional Food Security Reserve (the three countries host stocks from the Regional Reserve for a quantity of nearly 17,000 tons or 52% of the regional stock).
Furthermore, he named the Regional Support Program for Pastoralism in the Sahel (PRAPS, Financed by the World Bank), USD 215 million for the three States, and the Sahel Regional Irrigation Support Program (PARIS, Financed by the World Bank), USD 103.43 million for the three States, as stalled projects.
Senator Snowe also mentioned the USD 230 million Regional Food System Resilience Support Program (FSRP) funded by the World Bank for the three states.
“West Africa Single Identity and Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) project. The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market (West Africa Power Pool) project that links all member states to a regional electricity grid for improved access to electricity involves the three member states,” he added. _edited by Othello B. Garblah.
