Abuja 6th July 2018. The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Jean-Claude Kassi Brou has commiserated with the family of the late professor Adebayo Adedeji on the eve of the funeral of the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Conveying deepest condolences to the family of the renowned economist and academic, on behalf of the regional Community, Mr. Brou described professor Adedeji as “a formidable son of Nigeria and the African continent”

In the condolence letter, President Brou noted that it is heartwarming that Prof. Adedeji’s widely acknowledged role in the establishment of ECOWAS earned him the title of the “Father of ECOWAS”

The foremost development economist had championed the cause of regional integration and cooperation, not only in the sub-region, but in the entire continent of Africa.

Highlighting his immeasurable contributions to the integration process, President Brou said “We in ECOWAS Commission recall with gratitude his shuttle diplomacy to various capitals in the sub-region in his days as Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Economic Development, and the critical roles he played in the formation of ECOWAS, which happily is forty-three this year (2018)”

The ECOWAS Commission further noted in this regard that “His dynamism under UNECA platform resulted in the creation of two more Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in 1981-1983 respectively”

As a mark of high respect for the ‘Father of ECOWAS’, the Commission is sending a high level delegation to the funeral.