Amidst a broader decolonization momentum in Senegal, ECOWAS is advancing plans to introduce a new common currency, the Eco, to replace the France-linked CFA franc. This move is seen as a step towards rejecting colonial legacies in economic structures and asserting West African financial sovereignty.

ECOWAS, led by Chairman Bola Tinubu, expressed strong opposition to the recurring military coups in West Africa. Tinubu stated, 'We would not allow coup after coup,' signaling a clear and proactive stance against the authoritarian turn in the region. The organization intends to bring the issue to the African Union and engage Western powers to safeguard democratic governance.

On January 28, 2024, three founding member states announced their departure from ECOWAS, protesting the union's inability to effectively support democracy in the region amid recent military takeovers and growing authoritarian influences.

On September 12, 2023, ECOWAS, in collaboration with international partners including Germany’s G7 Presidency, launched the Joint Platform for the Advancement of Cybersecurity in West Africa during an event in Abuja, Nigeria. This initiative is part of the broader ECOWAS Action Plan (2022-2025) aimed at enhancing regional cybersecurity resilience, protecting critical infrastructure, and building cyber diplomatic capacities.

ECOWAS announced the launch of a Joint Platform for the Advancement of Cybersecurity in West Africa. Unveiled in Abuja on September 12, 2023, this initiative is designed to boost regional cyber diplomacy, protect critical infrastructure, combat cybercrime, and defend data sovereignty.

A report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Center revealed 102 cases of alleged labor, environmental, and regulatory abuses within critical minerals supply chains, implicating operational and oversight failures in member states of ECOWAS.

On March 3, 2023, ECOWAS labour ministers approved the Regional Action Plan on the Elimination of Child Labour and Forced Labour (2021–2030) and extended the ECOWAS Decent Work Regional Programme to 2026. The plan, aligned with the SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063, aims to protect the rights of children and workers, reduce exploitation, and promote decent work across West Africa.

The article details a growing crisis in ECOWAS as its top leadership fails to enforce democratic protocols and remains silent on unconstitutional power transfers, thus undermining regional legitimacy and effective governance.

After the September 2021 coup in Burkina Faso, ECOWAS issued condemnations and held an emergency summit but refrained from imposing decisive sanctions, a response that critics argue may have inadvertently emboldened military authoritarianism.

In August 2020, following the military coup in Mali, ECOWAS acted decisively by condemning the coup and imposing sanctions, including border closures and financial restrictions, aimed at pressuring the junta to restore democratic governance.