Meeting in Abuja on December 14, 2025, the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS presented a generally positive assessment of the regional economic situation. The year 2025 is marked by stronger growth in several member states, a slowdown in inflationary pressures, and fiscal consolidation efforts undertaken after the successive shocks of recent years.

This resilience is seen as a sign of a better capacity for West African economies to adapt in a still unstable international environment.

The Conference nevertheless stressed that these advances remain fragile and unevenly distributed. Leaders expressed their concerns about persistent shortcomings in macroeconomic convergence, as the launch of the single currency, the Eco, draws near.

Less than two years before the target date, several key criteria remain unattainable in some countries, fueling doubts about the collective ability to meet the initial timetable.

The heads of state also noted the accumulated delays in the implementation of the roadmap for the single currency. These delays stem from a combination of technical constraints, sensitive political trade-offs, and disagreements on future institutional arrangements.

The Conference considered that the lack of rapid progress could weaken the credibility of the Eco project and accentuate the asymmetries between Member States.

In light of this situation, leaders called for an acceleration of national economic reforms. They stressed the need to strengthen the mobilization of domestic resources, improve the quality and efficiency of public spending, and consolidate macroeconomic governance frameworks.

In this context, the Commission has been tasked with reactivating the Presidential Task Force on the single currency in order to promote high-level political dialogue and bring positions closer together on the most sensitive issues.

Finally, the Conference took note of the adoption of the Community Public Accounts Directive. The Heads of State called for its incorporation into national legislation by 31 December 2029 at the latest, considering this reform an important lever for strengthening budgetary discipline, the comparability of public accounts, and transparency within the Community area.

This harmonization is presented as a necessary condition to sustainably support the monetary and economic integration of the region.