Raphael Oni
Her Excellency Memounatou Ibrahima, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged member states to boost funding for the institution to address pressing challenges. She made this appeal during the opening of a meeting of the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Administration, Budget, Finance, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy, and Economic Research in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Ibrahima highlighted the subregion’s financial difficulties and security threats, which imperil community projects and programs. She emphasized the need for increased funding, citing the community levy as the primary source of funding, which has seen weak mobilization in recent years.
The Speaker stressed the importance of solidarity and responsibility among member states in building a prosperous and peaceful community environment. She reminded participants that the meeting was an opportunity for collaboration and reflection on strategies to address regional challenges.
Madam Speaker emphasized the need for lawmakers to understand budget-related challenges and strengthen collaboration between ECOWAS Parliament and other community institutions. She expressed confidence that the discussions would generate valuable analyses and recommendations to accelerate regional integration.
Other speakers, including Diawara Mamadou, Vice President of the Ivorian National Assembly, and Mrs. Niali Kaba, Ivorian Minister of Economic Planning and Development, echoed the importance of parliament’s role in budget preparation and oversight. Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Chairman of the parliament’s Joint Committee, assured that parliament would ensure judicious and transparent use of funds through meaningful engagements with stakeholders.