The ECOWAS Commission celebrated International Francophone and French Language Day on Thursday 8th May, 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria. The aim of the ceremony was to highlight the role of the French language as a tool for work, communication and integration within the West African community. The event brought together a number of Commission executives, as well as members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS, notably those from the embassies of the Republics of Guinea and Benin.
In her opening address, Mrs Ekerebong Michael Akuboh, Acting Coordinator of Language Services and representative of the Director of Conferences and Protocol, underlined the importance of French within the Organisation, stressing its central role in the day-to-day running of ECOWAS.
On behalf of the Commissioner for Internal Services, Mr Seydou Kassory Bangoura, Director of Administration and General Services, recalled that this day not only celebrates the French language, but also the values, history and solidarity that it conveys. He emphasised the need to preserve this language in a constantly globalising world, in order to build an inclusive future where every voice can be heard and valued.
Mr Bernard Koffi, Acting Director of Environment and Natural Resources, representing the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, reaffirmed that French is a real lever for work and cooperation within ECOWAS. He also spoke of the organisation’s Vision 2050, which aims to promote peace, security and social cohesion in the region.
Speaking on behalf of the Benin ambassador, Mr Akossoun Sourou Alfred praised the richness of the French language and its fundamental role in building a new Africa, geared towards unity and progress.
Throughout the ceremony, tributes were paid to a number of key figures in French-language literature from the 1960s and 1970s, including Mariama Ba, Fatou Diome, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Camara Laye, William Sassine, Ber-nard Dadié and Paul Hazoumé, among others.
The day also celebrated the artistic and culinary dimensions of Francophone. Guinea and Benin presented emblematic traditional dishes, while folk songs and dances performed by the Beninese and Togolese communities in Abuja brought the event to a close in a warm and festive atmosphere.
The International Day of La Francophone celebrated every 20th March, pays tribute to the French language and the cultural diversity it embodies. It promotes cooperation between the 88member states and governments of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), in accordance with the Charter of La Francophonie, adopted at the Hanoi Summit in 1997 and revised in Antananarivo in 2005.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
