Ejime wins ECOWAS maiden Journalist Excellence Award - ITREALMS

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Paul Ejime, an International Media and Communication Specialist and Global Affairs Analyst, has added another feather to his cap - the ECOWAS Maiden Journalist Excellence Award in Print Journalism.
The ECOWAS Commission, through its Communication Directorate, organised the competition in five media categories - Print, Television, Radio, Online, and Photojournalism - as part of activities commemorating the ECOWAS 50th Anniversary this year.

A seven-member Jury of multimedia professionals assessed and evaluated more than 200 entries from across the region, and selected 12 outstanding submissions, which “exemplified excellence in reporting, storytelling, and high-impact on the successes, challenges and major achievements of ECOWAS,” founded by the Treaty of Lagos on 28 May 1975.

WATISE 2025 to focus on digitalising ECOWAS economy - ITREALMS

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The upcoming West Africa Telecoms Infrastructure Summit & Exhibition (WATISE) will center on "Digitalising West African Economy: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities for Critical Stakeholders" reports ITREALMS.

The event, ITREALMS gathered, is aimed at bringing together leading industry telco and ICT players to learn, share, shape the industry, and network while discussing market-relevant digital transformation trends and development.

ECOWAS @50: Future Regional Integration and Growth - Digital Insights Podcast @ITREALMS

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Listen to our podcast: ECOWAS @50: Future Regional Integration and Growth - Digital Insights Podcast @ITREALMS

As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) it faces unprecedented challenges with the withdrawals of some members, sanctions, and security threats test the bloc's resolve. Digital Insights by ITREALMS looks into the future with anticipated return of these members.

ECOWAS chiefs of defence staff meet to tackle regional security challenges - ITREALMS

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The 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff kicked off in Abuja, Nigeria, with a call to action from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, reports ITREALMS.

In his welcome address, General Musa emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the complex security threats facing the West African region. "We must support our political leadership by entrenching a conducive and secure environment for economic development to thrive," he said.

ECOWAS @50: Golden jubilee of regional integration, growth and impactful media - Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS

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Despite cheering 50 years of making notable progress in promoting regional integration, connectivity and economic growth, ECOWAS faces unprecedented challenges; Withdrawals of some members, sanctions, and security threats test the bloc's resolve, amidst impactful media coverage, writes REMMY NWEKE in this edition of Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS.

Prologue:

As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its 50th anniversary, the bloc's citizens, including OluGbenga, are reflecting on its remarkable journey of regional integration and growth.

ITC, EU tackle reforms to ECOWAS business competition policies - ITREALMS

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The International Trade Centre (ITC), has provided insights into the proposed policy options and reforms outlined in a position paper entitled "Policy and Legal Options to Promote MSMEs under the ECOWAS and AfCFTA Competition Frameworks" reports ITREALMS.

ITC is a United Nations agency dedicated to small business trade, while the reform outline was presented to representatives from regional business associations in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

#37th AU Summit: Of Nigeria's tectonic changes, managing ECOWAS crisis - ITREALMS

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Ahead of the37th AU Summit, it is important this does not become yet-another perceived talk-shop where African heads of State confer with stakeholders and donors of the AU to drink Ethiopian coffee – and sometimes Kenyan tea – while pretending to agree on things that had already been agreed on years earlier.

For an institution that has recently celebrated 20 years of its existence and looking forward to another fruitful 20 years, while also reflecting over its 10 years of its Continental and flagship project of Agenda 2063, there is evidently a lot of deep introspection to be had on the efficacy of this institution, and how it can continue to deliver meaningfully to its citizens.

ECOWAS Women Entrepreneurs appoint Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji as media consultant - ITREALMS

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The ECOWAS Federation of Business Women and Entrepreneurs (FeBWE) Nigeria has appointed  founder of Penpushing Media Organisation as Media Consultant following his  remarkable contributions to the field of journalism and demonstrated passion for promoting gender equality and economic empowerment.

This was contained a letter signed by National President of the body Princess Omotola Omole titled, ’Appointment as Official Media Partner’, stating that the ECOWAS Federation of Business Women and Entrepreneurs is delighted to have the media founder on board.

Niger: Tinubu welcomes ECCAS support for ECOWAS - ITREALMS

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised the solidarity of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on the political impasse in the Republic of Niger. 

The President spoke when he received the Special Envoy of President Ali Bongo Ondimba and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gabon, Mr. Hermann Immongault, at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Top Secret: Nigeria commences deployment for ECOWAS against Niger - ITREALMS

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Invariably in adherence to the ultimatum given by some ECOWAS countries that met in Abuja last weekend, the Nigerian Armed Forces may have commenced deployment of personnel to Sokoto, reports ITREALMS.

ECOWAS, ITREALMS recalls met a few days ago and gave the military junta that took over power in Niger 7 days to reinstate the former president. The juntas responded by asking so-called ECOWAS leaders to remove the plank in their own eyes first by stopping corruption in their countries and ensuring that true democratic principles are upheld before pointing at Niger for a speck.

ECOWAS imposes sanctions on Niger junta, demands reinstatement of President Bazoum - ITREALMS.

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The Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS has demanded for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and Government of the Republic of Niger, reports ITREALMS.

In a communique at the end of the Extraordinary Summit on Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger read by the President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, the leaders also rejected any form of purported resignation by President Bazoum and declared him as the only recognised and elected President by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community.

ECOWAS on 2023 elections: Nigeria must conduct peaceful exercise - ITREALMS

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has warned that Nigeria cannot afford not to conduct peaceful and credible elections in 2023 as a lot is at stake even within the sub-region should the country fail.

This is even as the Independent National Electoral Commission, hailed the Commission over its dialogue with leaders of political parties towards peaceful 2023 general elections, describing it as very commendable.

2023: ECOWAS engages political actors from North West, North East - ITREALMS

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commission has engaged the leaderships of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and other stakeholders in n identifying ways to a peaceful atmosphere before, during, and after the 2023 general elections.

The leaders drawn from the Northwest and Northeastern states of Nigeria were taken on training and interactive engagements on dialogue and mediation for national peace held on Tuesday in Kano. 

ECOWAS engages Nigeria's political actors ahead of the 2023 elections - ITREALMS

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is set to hold a series of training and interactive workshops on dialogue and mediation as tools for preventing and mitigating election-related disputes and violence for political actors and stakeholders in Nigeria.

The workshop, the Commission said is part of its strategic and operational support for the country’s peaceful 2023 General Election.

The workshop series, according to the statement made available to the media on Saturday by the Program Officer, Mediation Directorate of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Brown Odigie, is billed to hold in some selected states across the six geo-political zones of the country. It targets the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) among others and is aimed at strengthening their capacity to prevent and mitigate potential pre- and post-election-related disputes and violence, to ensure peaceful electoral outcomes.

It is also a follow-up to the ECOWAS’ October 23rd-November 12th, 2022 Pre-election Fact-Finding Mission to Nigeria which among others, assessed the level of preparation by relevant stakeholders for the forthcoming general elections while mapping out areas of potential support by ECOWAS.

The Commission explained that the program is being held against the backdrop that electoral contestations have become a major source of conflicts in West Africa, with the potential for violence, triggered or heightened by the high premium on political power and incendiary rhetoric in political discourse.

It is expected that this series of training and interactive workshops will also create opportunities for stakeholders to understand better, the ECOWAS normative principles and frameworks for democracy and good governance, sustain and enhance ECOWAS’ strategic engagement with the political process in Nigeria as well as its commitment and determination to promote dialogue and mediation in resolving electoral disputes and conflicts.

It would be recalled that similar workshops were organized in the lead-up to the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and around the electoral processes of several other Member States.

The training and interactive workshops are being supported with funding from the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark under the Danish Africa Programme for Peace.

The workshop is being organized by the Directorate of Political Affairs (DPA), Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the Commission, and will commence a series on the 22nd of November 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria.

AfreximBank Boss, ECOWAS, Diplomats, others to speak @GAIN summit'22

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The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export Import Bank (AfreximBank) Professor Benedict O. Oramah; High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E Humphrey Geiseb; Ambassador of Cote D’Ivoire to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E Ambassador Kalilou TRAORE; Dr Tony Luka Elumelu, Ag. Director of Private Sector Development at the ECOWAS Commission, Nigeria as well as popular Nigerian businessman, Mr Obinna Tochukwu Iyiegbu (Obi Cubana), Chairman, Cubana Group, Nigeria have been named the keynote and guest speakers respectively at the 2022 edition of the Grand Africa Initiative - GAIN Youth Summit holding from 28th-29th October, 2022 at 10am WAT daily with the theme The Africa We Want: Nexus between the Youth, Peace and Entrepreneurship II.

The GAIN Youth Summit is an annual gathering of policy makers, diplomats, public and private sector leaders, development institutions, civil society groups and the youths from across the continent and the diaspora, focused on developing entrepreneurship, innovation, professional and employability capacities in young Africans in a way that helps tackle the menace of youth unemployment and conflict on the continent.

2023: ECOWAS, WANEP decry Nigeria’s political instability, worried - ITREALMS

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The Economy Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) have raised concerns over Nigeria’s failing democracy and her incompetencies in leading the African continent politically

With insecurities ravaging the country and tensions, especially among political parties, Amb. Aderemi Ajibewa, Director, of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, said elections have the potential of aggravating existing fault lines in societies; hence the need for stakeholders' engagement in electoral processes.

Twitter ban ruling against FG: ISOC Nigeria applauds ECOWAS court, CSOs - ITREALMS

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The Internet Society (ISOC) Nigeria chapter, has commended the ECOWAS Court of Justice on its ruling over the ban on Twitter and warned the Federal Government never to repeat such action against the citizenry, reports ITREALMS.

President, ISOC Nigeria, Mr. Caleb Ogundale gave this commendation in a reaction to the court judgment on Friday, July 14, 2022,
with ITREALMS.

ECOWAS court says FG erred in banning Twitter, describes it as unlawful, warns against repetition - ITREALMS

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The court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has proclaimed the ban on Twitter in Nigeria led by General Muhammadu Buhari, retired, as unlawful, reports ITREALMS.

According to the deputy director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) Kolawole Oluwadare, the court also warned the Nigerian government led by General Buhari not to repeat such a ban.

Buhari emerges chairman, ECOWAS - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

President Muhammadu Buhari has been named the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), reports ITRealms.

With this development, President Buhari on Tuesday replaced the Togolese president, Faire Gnassigbe. 

He was named the new chairman at the end of the commission's meeting in Togo, Tuesday..

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu confirmed the emergence in a telephone chat.

For him, "He did not ask for it, they just gave it to him.”

But ECOWAS observers said invariably its the turn of Nigeria to assume the office based on ECOWAS Charter.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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ECOWAS, stakeholders chat on Whistle blower strategy

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and stakeholders in the region are charting way forward on the essence of a Whistleblower Protection Strategy, reports ITRealms. 

This is coming as a fallout of a two-day meeting on advocacy and sensitization held in Cotonou, Benin Republic on the 22^nd and 23^rd of February 2017, facilitated by the ECOWAS Commission, to sensitize Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Media practitioners and operational staff of National Anti-corruption Institutions in Benin Republic on the ECOWAS Whistleblower Protection Strategy.

The meeting also stressed the need for a robust advocacy on the enactment of a stand-alone law on whistleblower protection in Benin Republic.

ITRealms also reports that the meeting ended with increased collective consciousness on the necessity of up-holding the values of integrity and transparency in the management of public resources in the region.

Participants at the meeting agreed that stakeholders should be encouraged to use Whistleblowing as part of their strategy to promote transparency in the management of public resources and holding government accountable in Benin Republic.

They also underscored the need for the enactment and effective implementation of a dedicated national legislation to engender comprehensive protection of whistle-blowers in the country while urging the country’s National Assembly to expedite actions on promulgating a stand-alone legislation for the protection of whistle-blowers.

Other relevant offices such as the Prosecutor-General and agencies such as security forces were urged to put special protection measures in place to advance the cause of whistle blowing. 

The participants urged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Benin, in collaboration with Social Watch to facilitate joint training programmes on security forces, CSOs and Media practitioners’ relations on the promotion of whistleblowing culture and protection of whistleblowers in Benin Republic.

The Benin Republic chapter of the ECOWAS Civil Society Organizations Platform on Transparency and Accountability in Governance (ECSOPTAG) was launched by the fact of the meeting.

Participants rose after commending the ECOWAS Commission for its commitment to advancing the promotion of good governance and whistleblowing as viable strategy for the fight against corruption in Benin Republic.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Andre Sagbo, General Secretary, Ministry of Justice of Benin, leaders of CSOs, anti-corruption networks, and United Nations agencies including the ECOWAS Commission Director, Political Affairs Dr. Remi Ajibewa, and other key stakeholders involved in the promotion of integrity governance in the Republic of Benin.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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