The 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon, held on March 1, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, marked a key milestone in ECOWAS’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, promoting regional integration, youth empowerment, and gender equality through sports.
The event which featured a 21-kilometer half-marathon and a 5-kilometer fun run on Saturday with a prize pool exceeding $71,000, brought together athletes, dignitaries, and sports enthusiasts from across West Africa.
Distinguished attendees included Mr. Malam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission of Nigeria; H.E. Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs; H.E. Sedikou Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalization; and Amb. Francis Chuks Njoaguani, Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, among others.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mme Messandje Touré Litsé, was represented by Dr. Tony Luka Elumelu, further emphasizing ECOWAS’s high-level support.
With Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana securing top positions, the marathon celebrated athletic excellence, youth engagement, and regional collaboration, reinforcing sports as a key driver of unity and development in West Africa.