He was elected to run the affairs of ECOWAS FELCBA from June 2025 to June 2028. Mr. Wally was elected at the end of a congress held from the 17th to 19th June 2025 in Sierra Leone attended by all ECOWAS member state representatives.
Three countries that contested for the presidency were Senegal, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
Mr. Essa Wally, having secured a majority of the votes, becomes the first Gambian to occupy this high-level position.
The congress was organised by the federation of ECOWAS (FELCBA-FOCDA) in Sierra Leone.
According to the Gambian representatives, the purpose of the congress was to revitalise the ECOWAS FELCBA which had been dormant since 2023.
Mr. Wally further explained that FELCBA was formally established in March 2023 by thirteen member states of the National Association of Customs Agents and Freight forwarders at the Conference Hall of the Regional Integration Headquarters.
According to the FELCBA newly elected president, the purpose of this federation is to promote the economic development of “our member nations, adopt standard operating procedure in tandem with the international best practices and set objectives.”
He added that it also meant to enhance and improve trade facilitation in the region and the globe at large while strengthening trans-border cooperation among members.
According to Mr. Wally, the federation has been operating on a self-help basis and individual sponsorship and will be willing to explore numerous opportunities within the sub region. “We are committed to seeing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme ETLS and the regional bilateral relations are solid towards improving countries' economic development.”
In his acceptance, Mr. Wally said: “It is with great humility and gratitude that I accept the position of President. I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading our organisation forward, and I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure that we continue to make a positive impact on our region and the world around us.”
“As we move forward together, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all of our members. It is through your passion and commitment that we have been able to achieve so much, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such talented and driven individuals.”
