The Retreat of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) began in Lagos on Friday, February 10, 2023.The 4-Day retreat serves as a platform to deliberate on the mandate and programmes of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS). It further serves as an opportunity for the staff to have a clear vision of the new management of ECOWAS Commission and to undertake planning for its operationalization and activities in 2023, going forward.

In this regard, the participants at the retreat are also discussing the set priorities of the new ECOWAS Commission’s Management team and the vision of the PAPS Commissioner. They will also be taking a critical look at institutional, administrative and human resource challenges within PAPS as well as other pertinent staff issues.

Besides, the retreat provides an opportunity for the re-examination of the working relationship with the partners who have been providing support in the area of peace and security, a re-definition of joint activities between PAPS and partners, while charting a roadmap for undertaking the much needed team building drive among staff of the department.

With a culture of change in mind in his opening remarks, the Commissioner, PAPS, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah stressed the need for participants to take a deep reflection on identifying strategies for effective planning and implementation, while developing a clear pathway in tackling the myriad of challenges of peace and security issues in the region, in 2023.

“Our gathering here presents a great opportunity for us to reflect on our vision and mandate and re-engineer our focus in moving forward our Department in leading effectively the ECOWAS Peace and Security agenda and consequently contributing our quota to the Vision 2050 ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity for All, and the 4 × 4 current Management objectives,” Musah added.

Welcoming the participants earlier, the Director Peacekeeping and Regional Security (DPKRS), Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethomand, Chairman of the retreat planning committee, noted that long awaited retreat comes with a lot of high expectations as exemplified with the saying: “When pregnancy becomes difficult, the baby is usually beautiful.”

With Rev. John Nkum as Lead Facilitator, the theme of the retreat is “A fit-for-Purpose PAPS to address new Peace and Security Challenges in the ECOWAS Region”.

According to the statement by the ECOWAS Commission, the Retreat is organized by PAPS, in collaboration with GIZ ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) project and the Organized Crime: West Africa Response to Trafficking (OCWAR) programme, with financial support of the EU, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (GFFO). It is also being supported by senior officers of relevant Directorates at the ECOWAS Commission.

It added that a minute silence for the departed colleagues – Dr. Eyesan Okorodudu and Mr. Olivier Zoué was observed at its commencement. It will be recalled that the last PAPS retreat took place in 2016.