Tuesday, May 27th 1975. Footage of General Yakubu Gowon, the NIgerian Head of State, chairing a summit held in Lagos to pave the way for the establishment of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.
Fifteen English and French-speaking West African states were involved in the endeavour, which like the European Economic Community was designed to standardise tariffs and trade procedures among member States.
A draft treaty was prepared in Ghana during the previous year which was later endorsed by Foreign Ministers at a meeting in Liberia.
The treaty was formally initialled at the Lagos summit, and became known as the 'Treaty of Lagos'.
Transcript of General Gowon's words:
"It is also my sincere hope that our deliberations at this meeting will set us firmly on the road to the fulfilment of our commonly-held aspirations for greater effective co-operation of the countries of West Africa and a more cohesive sub-region as part of and contributing to a progressive and equally prosperous continent. This is a momentous day, marking as it does the fulfilment of many hopes, the result of persistent efforts on the part of leaders from all corners of West Africa ... another major and concrete step in giving practical effect to aspirations which we all share, and which in various previous meetings, conferences and groups we have endeavoured since the beginning of the last decade to bring to fruition."
Source: Reuters News Archive.
Note:
After his overthrow in a bloodless coup in July 1975, General Gowon enrolled as a political science student at Warwick University in England where he pursued a Phd.
His dissertation was entitled "The Economic Community of West African States: A Study in Political and Economic Integration".
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