President Bola Tinubu addressed African leaders on Sunday in Accra, Ghana, providing an update on the progress and challenges faced by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
During the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, President Tinubu, who serves as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, highlighted the achievements of the West African economic bloc over the past year. He noted the activation of a Standby Force to combat terrorism and mentioned ongoing efforts to secure funding for this initiative.
President Tinubu reported that ECOWAS has been assisting member states in improving electoral and governance processes, recently deploying Election Observation Missions to Senegal and Togo, both of which were deemed peaceful, transparent, and fair. He also mentioned the facilitation of a National Unity Agreement in Sierra Leone and the ongoing consultations to revise the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“On education, the West African Network of National Academies of Sciences, and the African Forum for Research and Innovation have been established. Our regional Academic Mobility Scheme has continued to equip the youth with practical skills and is harmonizing education systems,” said Tinubu.
He also outlined ECOWAS’s efforts in health, energy, and agriculture, emphasizing initiatives such as support for women with obstetric fistula, empowerment of women entrepreneurs in agribusiness, and the promotion of gender equality in education and the green economy.
President Tinubu provided an update on energy projects, noting that ECOWAS is advancing electrification efforts in The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mali through the ECOWAS-Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOREAP) and the Regional Off Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP). He detailed plans to disburse grants and loans to support solar SMEs and achieve sustainable electricity access within the region.
Addressing environmental issues, he mentioned ECOWAS’s support for member states in international negotiations and the implementation of the Paris Agreement, as well as efforts to establish a regional carbon market. In terms of food security, he highlighted the operationalization of the Regional Fund for Agriculture and Food (RFAF) and initiatives to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.
President Tinubu also spoke about ECOWAS’s support for pastoralism in the Sahel, noting a record vaccination of over 490 million livestock and the establishment of common rules for controlling veterinary medicine products at borders. He mentioned a project to help member states access the Green Climate Fund to promote climate-smart agriculture.
On other ECOWAS institutions, Tinubu noted the election of Maimunatu Ibrahim from Togo as the first female President of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Sixth Legislature. He also mentioned that the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice reviewed fifteen new cases, held thirty-three court sessions, and delivered eleven judgments.
Despite these achievements, Tinubu acknowledged the multiple threats facing the bloc, including member-state withdrawals, geopolitical rivalries, terrorism, food insecurity, climate change, and the spread of misinformation. He emphasized the need for continued dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to maintain unity and announced plans for a Special Extraordinary Summit on the future of the Community.
President Tinubu also reported that the ECOWAS Commission had assumed the rotating Chairmanship of the Inter-REC platform since February, hosting meetings with the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to exchange views and review best practices.
On the margins of the AU meeting, President Tinubu held a bilateral meeting with President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, who emphasized Nigeria’s leadership role in West Africa and the continent. Both leaders agreed to work together to advance bilateral interests.
The meeting, convened under the AU theme “Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century,” included participation from the Bureau of the AU Assembly, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the AU Commission, and Regional Mechanisms (RMs).
President Tinubu had traveled to Accra, Ghana, on Saturday, July 20, to attend the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union.
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