Tinubu presides over 66th ECOWAS summit in Abuja

By Kunle Sanni

President Bola Tinubu is presiding over the 66th Ordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the State House, Abuja.

The summit, attended by leaders of 12 member states, focuses on advancing regional economic integration, addressing political instability, and ensuring institutional stability.

The meeting comes amid the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS. The three nations have aligned under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), raising questions about their future status within West Africa and their evolving relationship with the regional bloc.

Key topics on the agenda include reviewing ECOWAS sanctions on the AES nations following military coups and exploring diplomatic approaches to uphold democracy in the region.

The leaders are also set to discuss the rise of terrorism in the Sahel, political transitions in member states under military rule, and accelerating the adoption of the ECO, ECOWAS’s proposed single currency. Progress on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the free movement of goods and people will also be reviewed, along with member states’ compliance in paying the community levy.

During the last summit, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was appointed to mediate between ECOWAS and the AES nations. His report on the mediation efforts is expected to be presented at the meeting.

President Tinubu, who was re-elected as ECOWAS chairman at the 65th Ordinary Session, is expected to steer discussions toward achieving shorter transitions to civilian governance in nations under military rule and boosting regional trade and economic cooperation.

Participating countries include Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.