By Jane Salihu
A new initiative to deepen legislative cooperation across Africa has emerged following a high-level engagement between the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in Arusha, Tanzania.
The initiative, which could bring Africa’s regional and supranational parliamentary institutions into a common network, was unveiled during a three-day working visit by the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, to the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC).
The visit, hosted by the Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, and Clerk, Mr. Alex Obatre, focused on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and creating mechanisms through which legislative institutions across different regions of Africa can share experience, expertise and policy approaches.
A major outcome of the engagement was the presentation of a joint Concept Note proposing the establishment of a Network of Regional and Supranational Parliamentary Institutions, potentially bringing together bodies such as EALA, the ECOWAS Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament.
The proposed network is also envisaged as a platform for wider engagement with other supranational parliamentary institutions, including the European Parliament, with the aim of strengthening Africa’s capacity to influence global policy discussions.
Under the proposal, regional parliamentary institutions would deepen cooperation in areas including legislative practice, digital transformation, governance and institutional development.
The proposed network would also seek to promote greater coordination among African parliamentary bodies on issues affecting the continent, including climate change, migration, peace and security, economic integration and other emerging global challenges.
Another key component of the proposal is the development of a common African position in multilateral engagements, allowing regional parliamentary institutions to coordinate their positions and amplify the continent’s voice on the international stage.
The concept also proposes a rotational leadership structure and biannual meetings to promote inclusiveness, continuity and balanced participation among member institutions.
The engagement in Arusha signals a growing effort to move inter-parliamentary relations beyond ceremonial visits towards structured cooperation capable of producing practical legislative and policy outcomes.
The ECOWAS Parliament delegation also held consultations with the EAC Secretariat, the East African Court of Justice and the Pan African Postal Union during the visit, further widening the scope of discussions on regional integration and institutional cooperation.
The initiative comes at a time when African countries are seeking stronger continental responses to challenges that increasingly transcend national and regional borders.
For the two regional parliamentary institutions, closer legislative cooperation could provide a mechanism for exchanging solutions and strengthening parliamentary institutions while advancing the broader objectives of African integration.
The development, according to information released by the East African Legislative Assembly, reflects a commitment by West and East African parliamentary institutions to build sustained channels of cooperation and contribute to a stronger and more Coordinated African voice in global affairs
