- Memounatu Ibrahima is the first female Speaker to lead the regional legislative arm.
- Memounatou was the third Deputy Speaker in the fifth Legislature of ECOWAS Parliament.
On Thursday, a significant milestone was achieved as the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) elected its first female Speaker, Memounatou Ibrahima from Togo.
The election took place at the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the Community Parliament in Kano State, North-West Nigeria.
Memounatou’s election was a result of the rotation of the speakership of the Community Parliament in alphabetical order, in accordance with the provision of the Supplementary Act on Enhancement of Power.
Memounatou has been a member of the ECOWAS Parliament since 2021 and previously served as the third Deputy Speaker in the fifth Legislature.
Before her emergence as Speaker, Nigeria’s deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who is the First Deputy, acted as Speaker at the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament on April 4, 2024.
Notably, the Togolese Delegation was not present during the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS on April 4, 2024.
With this new development, the regional legislature is now poised to face the enormous tasks ahead of it, marking a new era for ECOWAS and its member states.
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