ECOWAS Pushes Regional Integration As Sweden Backs Migration Governance Initiatives
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has held high-level talks with a delegation from the Embassy of Sweden on strengthening regional labour migration governance and the ECOWAS free movement regime.
The meeting, held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, provided a platform for both parties to exchange views on ongoing and planned regional initiatives aimed at enhancing safe, orderly and regular migration, as well as supporting the effective implementation of ECOWAS free movement protocols.
The Swedish delegation was led by the Head of Regional Development Cooperation in Africa at the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr. Joachim Beijmo. He was accompanied by the Programme Manager for Migration and Development under the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Regional Strategy, Ms. Agnes Geijer-Farah, and the Programme Manager for Peace, Security and Resilience at the Embassy of Sweden in Dakar, Senegal, Ms. Ann Sofie Fofana Rahmqvist.
Discussions at the meeting focused on recent developments under the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), following the approval of its third phase by SIDA and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Both sides underscored the importance of regional cooperation, policy coherence and strong institutional coordination in promoting labour mobility as a catalyst for development, peace and stability across West Africa.
The Swedish delegation reaffirmed Sweden’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS-led initiatives on migration governance and free movement through strategic partnerships and programme-based cooperation.
Senior officials from the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Free Movement and Directorate of Humanitarian Affairs also participated in the meeting, highlighting the Commission’s integrated approach to migration governance, mobility and regional development.
The engagement concluded with a shared commitment to sustain dialogue and collaboration in the implementation of JLMP Phase III and other related regional frameworks.
ECOWAS continues to implement critical and strategic programmes aimed at deepening regional cohesion and progressively removing barriers to full integration, in line with its vision of transitioning from an “ECOWAS of States” to an “ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity to All” by 2050, benefiting an estimated 300 million citizens across the region
