President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU) in Accra, Ghana. He arrived at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at approximately 10pm on Sunday, where he was welcomed by senior government officials.
During his two-day visit to Ghana, President Tinubu, who participated in the meeting as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), provided updates on regional developments. In his speech, he highlighted the achievements and challenges faced by ECOWAS.
President Tinubu discussed ECOWAS’ advancements in counter-terrorism, electoral support, economic integration, humanitarian efforts, education, health, energy, mining, and agriculture. He mentioned the activation of a Standby Force to combat terrorism, support for member states in improving electoral and governance processes, and the execution of initiatives to strengthen the free trade area, customs union, and common market. He also emphasized ECOWAS’ humanitarian efforts, including a $9 million allocation to aid those in need and support for frontline member states in the fight against terrorism.
However, President Tinubu also acknowledged the bloc’s challenges, such as multiple threats, geopolitical rivalries, terrorism, food insecurity, climate change, and misinformation. He stressed ECOWAS’ commitment to dialogue with member states, maintaining unity, and convening a Special Extraordinary Summit to discuss the Community’s future.
On the sidelines of the meeting, President Tinubu had a bilateral discussion with his Djiboutian counterpart, Ismail Omar Guelleh, where they agreed to continue collaborating on advancing bilateral interests.