During the 65th Ordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja, Nigeria, H.E. Bola Tinubu commended Senegal for successfully holding elections and strengthening democracy, good governance, and the rule of law.
President Tinubu also called on member states to “Unite to unleash the economic potential of the region,” urging them to commit to collecting levies for the organization. He advised the Commission to reduce its overhead and make use of in-country committees to implement ECOWAS activities as part of its institutional reforms.
He announced the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, welcomed the Heads of State delegations, including the Presidents of Senegal and Liberia, to their first ECOWAS meeting.
He mentioned the successful elections in the member states as positive events, demonstrating that democracy is thriving in the region. It indicates that news within the ECOWAS bloc is not only about conflicts and coups d’รฉtat.
On the other hand, Dr Touray acknowledged the challenges in the subregion, including security and misinformation, which cause mistrust in communities.
The President of the Commission also provided an overview of the importance of documentation for the free movement of people and trade among ECOWAS member states.
The community will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. Dr Touray urged member states to fulfil their financial obligations to the ECOWAS organisation due to its dire financial situation.
Other speakers included representatives of the AU and UNOWAS.
The Summit agenda included democratic governance, diplomatic engagements, security, and trade within the West African bloc, among other issues.
Related to security, The Gambia will update the Summit on its transitional agenda towards realizing the recommendations of the country’s Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission – TRRC. The Gambia puts emphasis on the need to support the process as victims have waited far too long for justice to take place.
