The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) is a platform for the aggregation of civil society agency, interests, and interventions across the 15 states of West Africa. It was founded with the sole purpose of channeling civil society energies towards complimenting the regional integration and development agenda of the ECOWAS ‘System’ Institutions. The organization has passed through different stages of developments in its internal organizational processes and programmatic experiences. This section will describe WACSOF’s establishment and development over the years since its founding in 2003.

The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) is an umbrella network of civil society organizations (CSOs) from the fifteen member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The idea of creating the West African Civil Society Forum was based on the need to create an institutionalized dialogue between sub-regional CSOs and ECOWAS.

In an effort to formalize entry points for this interaction, a two-day consultation was organized in May 2003 at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja. The consultation brought together over 45 participants, including members of CSOs, ECOWAS Zonal Officers, government representatives, donors and experts from the sub region to discuss and strategize on issues of regional human security. The consultation concluded with the adoption of a communiqué encouraging ECOWAS and CSOs to institutionalize their relationship and to pursue a coordinated human security agenda. To consolidate this process, the consultation formed an ad hoc committee of ECOWAS and civil society members, and the concept of the West African Civil Society Forum was born.

The WACSOF Secretariat, located in Abuja, Nigeria, is responsible for the day-to-day administration management of the Forum’s activities and properties.