The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has made history by electing its first female speaker, Memounatou Ibrahima from Togo. She emerged as the speaker during the 2024 Second Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature held in Kano, State, North West Nigeria.
Ibrahima’s election follows the rotation of the speakership of the Community Parliament in alphabetical order, as stipulated by its Supplementary Act. Previously serving as the third Deputy Speaker in the fifth Legislature, Ibrahima has been a member of the ECOWAS Parliament since 2021.
She takes over the position from Senator Barau Jubrin of Nigeria, who was elected the First Deputy Speaker during the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature on April 4th, 2024. Senator Jubrin had been acting as the Speaker to prevent a leadership vacuum in the Community Parliament.
Notably, during the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature, the Republic of Togo’s delegation was absent due to the lack of an election process to appoint representatives to the Community Parliament.
