The ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, convened a high-level virtual consultation with Member States, regional social partners, and development stakeholders on 6 May 2025 to review and enrich the Draft ECOWAS Labour Migration Strategy and Action Plan (2025–2035).
The pre-validation meeting represents a crucial step towards finalising the Strategy, which is designed to strengthen the governance of labour migration across the ECOWAS region. Anchored in the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, the Strategy is being developed through a participatory and inclusive approach involving Member States, the African Union Commission (AUC), International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), with support from the European Union and the, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
The Commission reaffirmed that the Labour Migration Strategy constitutes a strategic response to current migration dynamics in West Africa, and reflects ECOWAS’ commitment to advancing human mobility as a driver of regional integration, economic development, and social inclusion. It further emphasised the importance of aligning the Strategy with the AU-Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The consultation focused on five strategic pillars of the Strategy: promotion of regular migration and labour mobility; protection of migrant workers’ rights; maximisation of migration’s developmental impact; gender and social inclusion; and enhanced regional cooperation and institutional capacity. The document, which consolidates regional legal frameworks and emerging priorities, was presented in detail by the lead consultant, with statistical insights highlighting that West Africa hosts over 8.2 million international migrants, nearly half of whom are women.
Representatives of Member States welcomed the Draft and provided constructive input, particularly on the harmonisation of labour migration data, ethical recruitment practices, diaspora engagement, and the facilitation of remittance flows. Several Member States called for greater investment in national capacity-building and alignment of national policies with the regional framework.
Speaking during the session, Mr. Albert Siaw-Boateng, Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, highlighted ECOWAS’ continued advocacy efforts and technical work with national immigration services. He noted the importance of being “ambassadors of the ECOWAS vision,” calling for collective responsibility in raising awareness of regional rights and obligations.
Social partners, including representatives from trade unions and employers’ organisations, emphasised the need for gender-responsive budgeting, reintegration pathways for returnees, and protection for low-skilled and informal sector migrant workers. The Action Plan—comprising over 130 activities mapped to specific outcomes and implementation responsibilities—was praised as a robust and actionable roadmap.
The results of the virtual consultation will inform the revised draft of the ECOWAS Labour Migration Strategy and Action Plan to be tabled at the in-person validation workshop scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, from 13 to 15 May 2025.
The ECOWAS Commission reiterated its gratitude to all partners and participants for their continued collaboration and reaffirmed its dedication to promoting safe, regular, and rights-based labour migration for the benefit of all ECOWAS citizens.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
