ECOWAS secretariat is located in

Analyze the question: The question asks where the headquarters (secretariat) of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, is located.

Explain the concept: ECOWAS was founded on 28 May 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos. Its main bodies include:

• The Commission (formerly called the Executive Secretariat), which handles day-to-day administration
• The Authority of Heads of State and Government
• The Community Parliament, also in Abuja
• The Community Court of Justice, also in Abuja
• The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), in Lomé, Togo

The ECOWAS Commission, which is the secretariat, is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. The Executive Secretariat was moved to Abuja after the Federal Capital Territory was developed, and Nigeria, as a founding member and the region's largest economy, hosts it.

Solution by elimination:

• A. Accra is the capital of Ghana. It is not the ECOWAS headquarters, although Ghana is a major member state.
• B. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria and the seat of the ECOWAS Commission. ✔
• C. Niamey is the capital of Niger. It hosts other regional bodies, but not the ECOWAS secretariat.
• D. Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin. It does not host the ECOWAS secretariat.

Answer: The ECOWAS secretariat is located in Abuja, which is option B.

Exam tip: Link organizations to their headquarters in pairs:

• ECOWAS → Abuja
• African Union → Addis Ababa
• OPEC → Vienna
• AfDB → Abidjan (temporarily in Tunis, since relocated back)

Since ECOWAS was created through the Treaty of Lagos and is led from Abuja, remember "Nigeria hosts the Nigerian-led giant of West Africa."