ECOWAS is founded in Lagos

On May 28, 1975, fifteen West African nations signed the Treaty of Lagos, formally establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Nigeria's military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, hosted the historic signing ceremony in Lagos, which brought together leaders from across the region. The founding members included Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, and Mauritania.

The push for West African economic integration gained momentum in the early 1970s as newly independent nations sought to reduce their dependence on former colonial powers and strengthen regional trade. Nigeria, flush with oil revenues, emerged as a natural leader for this initiative, while Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah had earlier championed pan-African unity. The idea built on existing cooperation frameworks and reflected growing recognition that small, fragmented markets limited economic development across the region.