Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) authority of heads of states and government.
The re-election was part of decisions taken at the end of the 65th ordinary session of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of states and government in Abuja.
Speaking, President Tinubu called on Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.
At the opening of the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja, the President, who is the Chairman of the regional bloc, highlighted the expediency of a standby force in the face of growing security threats.
“The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions.
“In addition to this, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets in order to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness,’’he said.
President Tinubu also urged member states to commit more to providing the needed resources for securing the region.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential.
“As we move to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.
“We must, therefore, ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our Ministers of Defence and Finance, in order to counter insecurity and stabilize our region,’’ he added.
The ECOWAS Chairman used the forum to welcome a new member of the Authority, Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
President Tinubu however, appointed the President of Senegal, Basiru Faye as the Special mediator between ECOWAS and Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.
He emphasized that the regional body would deploy all avenues for negotiation with the three countries to get them back to the regional bloc.
“Allow me to further extend warm congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Senegal for their steadfastness in the consolidation of democratic governance.
“Their recently concluded presidential election has been widely adjudged as free, fair, transparent, and credible. This achievement is a testament to our region’s commitment to the principles of democracy, good governance, and rule of law.
“We are aware of the enormous challenges, including terrorist activities and violent extremism threatening to spread from the Sahel region towards the coastal states. The political landscape still remains fragile in some member states, especially those that witnessed unconstitutional changes of government,” he said.
President Tinubu further called for support in the re-election campaign of Ambassador, Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security in February 2025.
Earlier, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray thanked President Tinubu for his purposeful leadership, affirming that ECOWAS should not be defined by conflicts, elections, and coup d’états, but by development.
Dr. Touray said the exiting of ECOWAS by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger would affect citizens of the countries, and other ECOWAS countries, following the need for visas, and the review of all trade and development agreements, including ongoing ECOWAS projects in those countries.
