The inaugural Sahel Governance Forum (FGS) opened on Wednesday 30 July 2025 in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, on the theme ‘Rebuilding social cohesion and public trust in the region,’ in the presence of Gambian President H.E. Adama Barrow, H.E. Goodluck E. Jonathan, former President of Nigeria, H.E. Dioncounda Traoré, former interim President of Mali, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray.
At the opening ceremony, President Barrow said that this Forum is a vital step towards redefining governance in the region. ‘The Gambia is proud to host this important forum and to ensure that the benefits of lasting peace and inclusive growth are available to all Sahelians,’ he added.
In his address on behalf of the ECOWAS institutions, ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Omar Alieu Touray thanked the host country, The Gambia, the United Nations Development Programme, the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA International) for jointly organising this important forum on the Sahel.
” The Forum is taking place at a particularly crucial moment when the security and governance landscape of the Sahel is undergoing profound changes. By many counts this forum provides a unique opportunity to share perspectives, foster meaningful dialogue, and co-create solutions for advancing a renewed governance agenda that prioritizes social cohesion and public trust across the Sahel region, and beyond.” said President Touray.
In his speech, he emphasised that 70 million ECOWAS citizens originate from the Sahelian states of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Even after their official departure, ECOWAS continues to consider these three countries as part of the community. And there is strong evidence that the three countries share a similar sense of belonging to the West African community. That is why ECOWAS and the three countries have agreed that, despite their withdrawal from ECOWAS and until a new agreement is reached, the people of West Africa will continue to benefit from the achievements of regional integration over the past 50 years, particularly with regard to the free movement of people and goods in the region. In addition, the two parties have agreed to work towards establishing conditions that facilitate collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
‘It is in this context that we eagerly await the results of this forum, which I am confident will include innovative strategies to strengthen social cohesion and relations between citizens and the state, as well as to advance governance through stronger democratic institutions that will promote accountability, discipline and the achievement of results,’ ” added ECOWAS Commission President, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray.
It should be noted that the Sahel Governance Forum aims to establish a high-level, multi-stakeholder platform to advance a governance approach that is both holistic and tailored to the realities of the Sahel, for the benefit of governments and populations.
This forum, which brings together more than 200 political leaders, policy makers, representatives of civil society, youth and women’s organisations, and development partners, is intended to be a unique space bringing together governments, political leaders, technical experts, community leaders and citizens, the private sector and international partners from the Sahel and beyond. It also aims to promote the sharing of experiences, the exchange of ideas, mutual learning, innovation in public policy, and the monitoring of commitments made to address governance challenges in the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).