Following the bipartite meeting between ECOWAS and UEMOA from 8 to 10 September 2025,
The 4th Meeting of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-EU Tripartite Consultation Mechanism for the programming and implementation of the European Union’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (ENID) 2021-2027 was held from 11 to 12 September 2025 in Lomé, Togo.
The opening ceremony of the tripartite meeting was marked by welcoming remarks from the WAEMU Commission and the European Union Delegation to Togo, speeches by the heads of cooperation of the EU Delegations in Abuja and Ouagadougou, and the opening address delivered by the Director of External Relations of the ECOWAS Commission.
Representatives of the European Union welcomed the meeting, which took place a year and a half after the previous one in Accra. They noted that the EU and Africa are two regions that share similar challenges, hence the necessary for effective cooperation between them, and that the NDICI offers flexibility through its support for Africa’s priorities. They observed that ECOWAS’s Vision 2050 and UEMOA’s Impact 2030 fit perfectly into the European Union’s partnership framework. Similarly, the EU’s main priorities for regional cooperation with West Africa cover various areas of strategic interest for the African region.
Mr Arnaud Cédric KIEMA, Director of Cooperation at the WAEMU Commission, welcomed all the delegations and expressed his delight at the holding of this fourth tripartite meeting between WAEMU, ECOWAS, and the EU, following the first three meetings held in Accra. He also thanked the European Union delegations in Ouagadougou and Lomé for their frank cooperation with the RECs of West Africa in implementing NDICI programmes.
Mr Jerome BOA, Director of External Relations of the ECOWAS Commission, speaking on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, highlighted the many challenges shared by Africa and Europe and stressed the necessary to strengthen the framework for consultation between the EU and West African organisations to facilitate cooperation. He stated that this meeting would serve as a review of the implementation of programmes in relation to expectations and thanked the EU for its various forms of support and good cooperation, before declaring the proceedings open.
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