The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hajia Memounatou Ibrahima, has described Ghana’s decision to elect a woman as Vice President as an inspiration to women and girls across West Africa.
Ibrahima stated this after meeting Ghana’s Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, on the sidelines of the ongoing 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament and Second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar in Accra, Ghana.
The ECOWAS Speaker expressed appreciation to the Vice President for receiving her and for the speech delivered at the opening of the parliamentary proceedings.
She also commended President John Dramani Mahama and the people of Ghana, saying the country’s choice of a woman as Vice President sends a significant message about women’s leadership in Africa.
According to her, “By entrusting the vice presidency to a woman, Ghana sends a powerful message to our entire region: that Africa believes in women’s leadership. Her journey is an inspiration to millions of young girls.”
Ibrahima said discussions during the meeting also focused on the 25th anniversary of the ECOWAS Parliament and its core responsibilities, including issuing opinions on matters referred to it, examining the budget of the ECOWAS Commission and conducting oversight missions.
The two leaders further discussed issues affecting young people across the region, particularly the harmonisation of curricula and mutual recognition of academic diplomas among ECOWAS member states.
Ibrahima said the recognition of qualifications obtained by graduates from cities such as Lomé, Abuja and Dakar in other member states would strengthen free movement and contribute to the realisation of an ECOWAS of the Peoples.
She thanked the Ghanaian authorities for their warm reception and the organisation of the parliamentary session.
The meeting forms part of the ECOWAS Parliament’s engagement with regional leaders as the institution marks its 25th anniversary and pursues regional integration priorities, particularly youth mobility and academic recognition across West Africa.
