* Interactive discussions and question-and-answer sessions allowed students to engage directly with the delegation and deepen their understanding of ECOWAS as a community of people

ABUJA, Nigeria - Led by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, in company of the ECOWAS Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, H.E. Ambassador John Azumah, senior officials of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), the ECOWAS National Office, the ECOWAS Political Advisor, a senior official of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre (NEWRMC), and a senior official from the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. The mission engaged in school sensitization sessions and district-level stakeholder meetings.

The sensitization tour covered Kambia District (Kambia), Koinadugu District (Kabala), Tonkolili District (Magburaka), and Kono District (Koidu). It adopted a two-track engagement approach comprising school-based sensitization sessions and district-level stakeholders' meetings in each district.

At the school sensitization sessions, held in two secondary schools per district, students were introduced to ECOWAS' mandate, history, and contributions to peace, education, youth empowerment, and regional integration. Interactive discussions and question-and-answer sessions allowed students to engage directly with the delegation and deepen their understanding of ECOWAS as a community of people.

Following the school engagements, district-level stakeholders' meetings were convened with district authorities, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, youth and women's groups, security actors, traders, persons with disability (PWD), and the media. Discussions focused on ECOWAS' role in peace and security, democratic governance, trade facilitation, youth employment, women's empowerment, food security, and regional economic integration, in line with ECOWAS Vision 2050: "ECOWAS of the People - Peace and Prosperity for All."

In her remarks, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development highlighted the strong alignment between ECOWAS' regional priorities and Sierra Leone's national development agenda, while underscoring Sierra Leone's active role within the Community. The ECOWAS Resident Representative reiterated ECOWAS' commitment to strengthening peace, security, and socio-economic development placing people at the center of development, emphasizing that regional integration must deliver tangible benefits to ordinary citizens.

The participation of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism reinforced discussions on preventive diplomacy and community-level security, while the Ministry of Trade and Commerce provided clarifications on ECOWAS trade instruments, including the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and regional market integration frameworks.

Across all districts visited, the tour recorded strong participation and high levels of engagement, with stakeholders expressing appreciation for ECOWAS' continued presence and contributions to Sierra Leone's peace, stability, and development. The mission also generated valuable feedback to inform future ECOWAS programming and district-level engagement strategies.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).