ILO and ECOWAS Reactivate Social Security Experts Committee to Expand Coverage Across West Africa

Lagos, Nigeria: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through the EU-funded FMM (West Africa) II Project, with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), has successfully reactivated the Committee of Experts on Social Security (CESS), marking a major step toward expanding social protection coverage for millions of workers across West Africa.

The four-day meeting, held from November 4–7, 2025 in Lagos, brought together social protection officers from 11 ECOWAS Member States, alongside technical experts from the ILO, social partners, and regional institutions. The objective was to reactivate the Committee of Experts established under the ECOWAS General Convention on Social Security, adopted in 2013, and accelerate progress toward portable and equitable social security systems for migrant workers.

The ECOWAS General Convention on Social Security aims to guarantee equal treatment and portability of benefits for migrant workers across our region. With renewed collaboration and ILO technical support, we can finally deliver tangible benefits to workers.

Dr. Alves Fernando d'Alamada Jorge - ECOWAS

Dr. Vanessa Phala ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS underscored the critical importance of inclusive social protection by stating that “Social protection is not only a fundamental human right but also an economic imperative. Extending coverage to migrant and informal workers is essential for fostering inclusive growth, achieving decent work outcomes, and advancing social justice. The reactivation of this Committee reflects a renewed and collective commitment to turning these aspirations into reality.” Addressing a critical regional challenge, the Director noted that only 19.1% of Africa’s population is covered by at least one social protection benefit, with many West African countries below 10%. This gap leaves an estimated 7.5 million intra-regional migrants vulnerable when crossing borders for work.

The key outcomes of the meeting included the validating the Terms of Reference for the Committee of Experts, with recommendations from the Member States, review and endorsement of the Briefing Note on Social Protection of Migrant Workers with incorporation of comments from Member States; and presentation of national and regional Action Plan presented for advancing social security coverage. The meeting also elected new the Chair from Sierra Leone and Co-Chairs from Republic of Guinea-Bissau and Republic of Côte d’Ivoire respectively.

The ECOWAS General Convention on Social Security provides a comprehensive framework covering nine branches of social security, including health, maternity, unemployment, old-age, disability, and survivors’ benefits.

The meeting funded by the European Union through the Free Movement and Migration in West Africa (FMM West Africa II) project with technical support of the ILO and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO)