President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to take on the role of Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that currently, preparations are underway for Tinubu’s departure from Abuja today (Saturday) in anticipation of the Sunday meeting of regional heads of state belonging to this political and economic bloc.
Reliable sources, as reported by TheCable, have disclosed that President Tinubu is expected to succeed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau.
This newspaper learnt that diplomatic insiders revealed the position transition. Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari previously held this position in 2018.
The 63rd session of the authority of heads of state and government is slated to take place in the capital city of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau.
This event marks President Tinubu’s maiden international engagement on the African continent since assuming office as the President of Nigeria in May 2023.
The forthcoming summit of ECOWAS heads of state is expected to address pressing sub-regional matters. These include reviewing a report on the security challenges faced by member countries from the 50th ordinary session of the Mediation and Security Council, assessing the financial situation of the body based on the 90th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, evaluating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and considering reports on the transitional progress in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Established in 1975, ECOWAS consists of 15 member states with a combined population of 387 million and a nominal GDP of $816 billion.
The member states include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
