By Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope Reporter
Delegates from across West Africa gathered in Freetown on Sunday for the opening of the 39th Session of the ECOWAS Administration and Finance Committee, kicking off a series of statutory meetings ahead of the 2026 ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit.
The week-long session is being hosted at the Bintumani International Conference Centre and brings together representatives from 12 member states to review administrative, financial and institutional issues affecting the regional bloc.
Chairman of the Committee, Komba Momoh, welcomed participants and commended the leadership of Sierra Leone’s President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, who currently chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“I warmly welcome you to Sierra Leone for this important session,” Momoh said. “We count on active participation from all delegates to ensure our deliberations produce concrete outcomes for the Community.”
He described the AFC as critical to upholding governance, financial accountability and institutional efficiency within ECOWAS. He urged member states to address pressing administrative and budgetary challenges to strengthen the bloc’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.
Momoh also expressed gratitude to the Government and people of Sierra Leone for their hospitality and said he expects the session to generate practical recommendations for the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Authority.
ECOWAS Commission Vice President Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, speaking on behalf of the Commission, reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to regional integration through sound financial management and institutional reform.
She urged member states to deepen cooperation in tackling peace and security threats, climate change, youth unemployment and institutional resilience, noting that partnerships are key to realizing the ECOWAS Vision 2050.
The Freetown meeting is the first in a series of high-level engagements that will culminate in the Mid-Year Summit. Heads of State are expected to consider policy recommendations and take decisions on regional integration, economic cooperation, peace, security and sustainable development.
As host, Sierra Leone is welcoming hundreds of delegates, ministers, technical experts and development partners this week, underscoring the country’s central role in regional diplomacy during President Bio’s chairmanship of ECOWAS.
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