FREETOWN, Feb. 26– The Secretary-General of the Mano River Union (MRU) today held a meeting the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Kalilou Sylla, and Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah (Ph.D.)- the Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (CPAPS), in Freetown. The high-level meeting, held during the ECOWAS duo’s official visit to Sierra Leone, focused on strengthening the partnership between the two bodies to enhance regional integration and tackle shared developmental challenges.
Discussions centered on concrete mechanisms for collaboration, with Dr. Sylla emphasizing ECOWAS’s commitment to forging strategic alliances with subregional bodies to fortify the West African ecosystem.
“ECOWAS are aware of the peace and security issues in the subregion, and is open to working with different subregional bodies in its bid to strengthen its ecosystem for regional integration and fighting fragilities together,” Dr. Musah said. He specifically highlighted the desire to intensify collaboration with the Mano River Union, particularly in the implementation of MRU-related programmes designed to amplify collective progress across the region.
Dr. Sylla underscored the critical role of the MRU in shaping key ECOWAS policies, noting the significant economic momentum currently being witnessed in West Africa. He pointed out that four of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal—are located within the region, with the MRU basin being home to one of these economic powerhouses.
“ECOWAS is presently working on an economic policy to which MRU input is very integral,” he added, reinforcing the necessity of a unified approach to sustain and accelerate this growth trajectory.
The Commissioner stressed the transformative potential of a robust partnership, urging both institutions to move beyond dialogue toward actionable projects that directly benefit citizens.
“I am a strong believer in achieving tangible goals, no matter how small, through meaningful collaborations to breach economic gaps,” Dr. Sylla said. “There are huge potentials in our partnership. The funds raised by ECOWAS are available to impact the whole region; let’s impact lives with it.”
He characterized the proposed alliance as a “win-win situation” for both the MRU and ECOWAS, paving the way for more effective use of resources and a harmonized approach to development.
In a gesture of continued diplomatic engagement, Dr. Sylla extended a formal invitation to the MRU Secretary-General to attend the upcoming ECOWAS Ministerial Conference, scheduled to take place in Abidjan in April 2026. The conference is expected to provide a further platform to solidify the collaborative framework discussed during the Freetown meeting.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to strengthening ties and working diligently towards the shared vision of a prosperous and integrated West Africa.

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About the Mano River Union (MRU)
The Mano River Union is an international organization established to foster economic cooperation and integration among its member states: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.