ECOWAS is forging ahead with plans for a single currency. The legal registration of the ECO trademark is in progress, but the broader framework for the currency is still being worked out.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed plans to launch a single currency next year. But the bloc says it is 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 last 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.
The legal registration of the ECO trademark is in progress, but important questions remain unresolved, including whether members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), who use the CFA franc, will be included at the start.
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.
