ECOWAS is forging ahead with plans for a single currency. The legal registration of the ECO trademark is progress, but the broader framework for the currency is still being worked out.
The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has reaffirmed plans to launch a single currency next year. But the bloc says it’s leaning towards a phased rollout, with countries meeting convergence criteria such as inflation, debt, and monetary stability joining first.
The news was announced in a communique following Sunday’s ECOWAS Heads of State meeting in Sierra Leone.
The single currency, dubbed the ECO, is being presented as a way to deepen regional integration and support sustainable and inclusive growth.
ECOWAS says several issues still need agreement, particularly around the future central bank, decision-making rules, and which countries will start first.
The launch of the ECO will also have to grapple with West Africa’s changing political landscape since Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left the bloc but remain within the UEMOA.
Consultations are continuing and a key Task Force meeting is expected before the December 2026 summit.
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