The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Peace Fund holds workshop on APSA IV Implementation, Capitalisation and lessons learnt from November 27 to 28, 2025, at the Zuma Rock Resort in Niger State, Nigeria.

ECOWAS and other Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RM) as well as the African Union Commission (AUC) have successfully implemented the 4th generation of the Support Programme to the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA-SP).

The APSA SP which was sponsored by the European Union (EU) via the AUC, covers the AUC, EAC, EASF, ECCAS, ECOWAS, COMESA, ECOSOC, SADC, IGAD, NARC and MAU. The budget allocated by the EU to ECOWAS for APSA IV (2020-2025) amounts to 2.89 million Euros.

The impact of the achievements of the APSA IV implemented by ECOWAS from 2020 to 2025 include the improvement of conflict cycle management, particularly through enhanced Early Warning Systems, coordination, inclusive stakeholders engagement (ECOWAS – AUC – RECs – RMs – EU), notably involving Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), youth and children.

By the end of the workshop, participants reached significant milestones in assessing the APSA-IV implementation for the past 5 years. They conducted a comprehensive analysis of the programme’s performance, evaluating achievements against its strategic objectives and identifying the key factors that shaped its outcomes. This process highlighted both the strengths that drove progress and the challenges that emerged during implementation.

The workshop also resulted in a clear synthesis of lessons learned from APSA-IV, capturing best practices and priority areas for improvement. These insights will directly inform the design and execution of its successor initiative, the Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) Support Programme which will kick off in January 2026, ensuring continuity, strengthened impact, and a more effective response to emerging peace and security needs across the continent.