ECOWAS Parliament Approves UA19.6m Budget for 2026, Focuses on AI and Governance
The ECOWAS Parliament has adopted a UA19,636,030 budget (approx. $26 million) for the 2026 financial year, with a strong focus on deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve legislation, strengthen governance, and enhance accountability across West Africa. Speaker of the Parliament, Hadjia Memounatou Ibrahima, announced the resolution on Saturday during the closing of the 2025 Second Extraordinary Session in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. She described the budget as “the engine of our commitment to the people of West Africa,” emphasizing that it will allow the Parliament to implement outcomes from its AI seminar while ensuring transparent management of public funds. The 2026 budget represents a 5% increase compared to 2025, rising by UA939,233 from last year’s UA18,996,897. Of the total, UA19,368,394 (98.64%) will come from the Community Levy, while UA257,636 (1.36%) will be sourced elsewhere. Despite the upward adjustment, concerns remain […]