The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on Wednesday officially handed over leadership of Ghana’s Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament to the Deputy Majority Leader, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan.

The handover took place on the sidelines of the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament underway in Accra. 

Mr Afenyo-Markin, the Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, would, however, continue to serve as a member of Ghana’s delegation to the regional body until 2028. 

In his remarks, Mr Afenyo-Markin assured the new head of delegation of his full support and cooperation to ensure continuity and effective representation of Ghana’s interests. 

He called for a stronger, people-centred approach to West African integration, insisting that the benefits of regional cooperation must be felt directly by citizens. 

He said the true value of integration should be measured by the opportunities available to young people, the ease with which citizens and businesses can move across borders, and the collective ability of member states to confront challenges that no individual country can tackle alone. 

“Regional integration must be understood beyond treaties, protocols, and meetings of institutions,” he stressed, adding that its value must be felt in communities across the region. 

The week-long programme, being held from Monday, September 21 to Sunday, September 27, also serves as the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament of 2026, bringing together ECOWAS parliamentarians, government officials, diplomats, international organisations and civil society.  

The seminar is on the theme: "Climate Change as a Factor of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Growing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region." 

On climate and security, Mr Afenyo-Markin cautioned against reducing every conflict in the region to climate change, but noted that environmental pressures could intensify existing vulnerabilities such as poverty, competition over land and water, and weakened livelihoods. 

He emphasised the need to take the work of the ECOWAS Parliament closer to the people, recalling decentralised engagements previously held in Liberia in 2019 and Winneba in Effutu in 2021. 

He reaffirmed his commitment to the objectives of the ECOWAS Parliament and the broader vision of a more integrated, peaceful, and prosperous West Africa. 

The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, is the legislative arm of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  

It serves as a forum for dialogue, consultation, and consensus for the people of West Africa to promote regional integration.