ECOWAS Lawmaker Seeks Stronger Powers for Regional Parliament, Support for Women Entrepreneurs
Liberian parliamentarian says regional lawmakers need greater authority to turn decisions into action
A Liberian member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Ms. Moima Briggs-Mensah, has called for institutional reforms that would give the regional legislature greater authority to turn its decisions and recommendations into enforceable policies across West Africa.
Briggs-Mensah made the call during the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session and Second 2026 Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra, Ghana.
She argued that the Parliament’s current advisory role limits the ability of lawmakers to respond effectively to challenges confronting citizens across the region.
According to her, parliamentarians who represent constituents across ECOWAS member states should have a stronger role in shaping regional policies, approving budgets and ensuring that decisions taken at the regional level are implemented.
She called for a review of the institutional framework governing the ECOWAS Parliament, including provisions that would enable the legislature to adopt legislation and exercise greater control over its budget.
Briggs-Mensah said it was frustrating for lawmakers to deliberate on issues affecting millions of West Africans only for their recommendations to depend on decisions taken by other regional institutions.
She also called for stronger regional laws and policies to tackle climate change, environmental degradation and the growing challenges associated with climate-related displacement.
While describing the parliamentary seminar as useful, the Liberian lawmaker stressed that the real test would be what happens after the meetings.
“The seminar is good, but the implementation is what matters,” she said.
Briggs-Mensah said West African countries needed regional mechanisms capable of mobilising financial support for communities affected by floods, environmental degradation and other climate-related disasters.
She warned that women and children often bear a significant share of the consequences when climate-related emergencies disrupt farming, migration and cross-border trade.
For a woman whose livelihood depends on moving goods from one country to another, she explained, a flooded road or blocked border crossing can mean losing an entire consignment.
“When you look at migration, when you look at flood issues… at the end of the day, you end up losing, because maybe it’s spoiled, or you have to throw it away,” she said.
She also highlighted the difficulties faced by farmers who spend money on fertiliser and other inputs only to suffer poor harvests because of changing weather patterns.
Briggs-Mensah urged governments to move from emergency responses to preventive measures that protect vulnerable communities before disasters occur.
“We shouldn’t wait for it to happen, then we start to do quick impacts… But we should come up with a full plan on how we are going to protect these people,” she said.
Women entrepreneurs need regional markets
Briggs-Mensah, who is involved with the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association, ECO-FEPA, also called for greater support for women-owned businesses, particularly those with the potential to participate in regional trade.
She said discussions during an ECO-FEPA masterclass showed that many women were already producing goods capable of competing in wider markets, citing shea butter and agricultural products among the opportunities.
But access to affordable finance remains a major obstacle.
According to her, high commercial bank interest rates can place enormous pressure on small businesses, especially when entrepreneurs struggle to meet repayment deadlines.
She proposed dedicated ECOWAS grants, funding mechanisms or concessional loans for women-led cooperatives and businesses seeking to expand production and enter new markets.
“If you have a grant from ECOWAS, to improve your business as a cooperative, as a body, it helps,” she said.
She also encouraged West African countries to promote intra-regional trade by creating stronger markets for products produced within the region.
“The first thing, we should start with ourselves. Try to export within the region,” she said.
Briggs-Mensah argued that products made in one ECOWAS member state should first be supported and consumed across the region before businesses focus heavily on markets outside Africa.
‘We know the people’s problems’
The Liberian parliamentarian said the strength of the ECOWAS Parliament lies in its direct connection with citizens.
“We are the direct representation of the people. We know the people’s problem,” she said.
She argued that lawmakers who interact directly with constituents are well placed to understand the challenges faced by women traders, farmers and other vulnerable groups.
Briggs-Mensah questioned whether regional policymakers who are not directly involved in parliamentary constituency engagement regularly hear from women struggling to move their products across borders.
She said the Parliament should serve as a channel for taking such concerns from communities into regional policy discussions.
The lawmaker also cautioned ECOWAS against simply copying policies from countries outside the region without considering West Africa’s unique circumstances.
She said experiences from countries such as China and the United States could provide lessons, but regional policymakers should adapt useful ideas to African realities.
“We need to adopt what we want for Africa,” she said.
For Briggs-Mensah, the ultimate measure of parliamentary work should be tangible results for ordinary citizens.
“For me, I like to see an outcome,” she said.
She called for stronger institutional rules to ensure that recommendations and decisions reached through ECOWAS parliamentary processes translate into concrete action.
The lawmaker said giving the ECOWAS Parliament greater institutional authority could strengthen accountability and help ensure that regional policies respond more directly to the everyday realities of the people they are intended to serve.
