Tinubu to depart Lagos for ECOWAS 50th anniversary, project commissionings

By Kunle Sanni

President Bola Tinubu will travel to Lagos on Tuesday to join other West African leaders in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The golden jubilee celebration, which began last month in Accra, Ghana, will continue in Lagos with a series of events marking the milestone. A major highlight will be a symbolic reenactment of the 1975 declaration that established ECOWAS, to be held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island.

As Chairman of ECOWAS, President Tinubu is expected to deliver a keynote address at a commemorative gathering at Eko Hotels and Suites, where he will reflect on the achievements of the regional bloc over the past five decades. Former Minister of External Affairs and Chairman of the NIIA, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, will present a review of ECOWAS’s journey, followed by a panel discussion.

One of the founding leaders of ECOWAS and the only surviving signatory to the original declaration, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), will attend all the ceremonies and deliver a special speech at the Eko Hotels event. The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, will give the welcome address.

In addition to the ECOWAS anniversary, President Tinubu will also commission a number of major infrastructure projects on Saturday, May 31. These include Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Concrete Road, and the flag-off of Section II of the coastal highway, along with the 7th Axial Road.

The President will also conduct virtual commissioning of the Kano-Kwanar-Danja-Hadejia Section II Road and the Yakasai-Zalli Road. He will flag off several northern infrastructure projects including the Kano Northern Bypass and multiple sections of roads linking Zaria, Kafur, Malumfashi, and other towns.

Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu is expected to observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House Mosque in Dodan Barracks.