The Economic Community of West African States Parliament elected Hajiya Maimounatou Ibrahima as its first female Speaker.
Ibrahima was announced on Thursday at the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Kano.
The speaker, who was overwhelmingly elected by the over 112-member parliament during plenary, will lead the parliament’s business for the next four years, until 2028.
Senator Barau Jibrin, Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President and First Deputy Speaker of the Legislature, presided over the plenary, which saw jubilation by fellow female legislators who broke into solidarity songs upon the appearance of their Speaker.
In her acceptance address, the new Speaker, who is from Togo, committed to implement far-reaching changes to improve the functioning of the ECOWAS parliament in order to fulfil its purpose.
The Togolese Speaker stated that the ECOWAS sub-region has faced various political and security issues, including high unemployment, climate change, and the rise of terrorism in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
She did, however, reaffirm the parliament’s decision to establish a mediation committee to work with the offended nations of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
The act “demonstrated brotherhood and openness in addressing the issues that caused the exit of the three countries from ECOWAS.”
According to her, the parliament will implement other changes, such as boosting the talents of women and adolescents, as a means of combating radicalism.
She said:
“We would also develop a policy on communication and partner with members of the media community in the community in order to encourage interaction between our people and the parliament.
“I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Barau Jibrin, and the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for the warm reception accorded to the parliament in Nigeria and Kano in particular.”
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