President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to take on the role of Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), succeeding President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau. Preparations are underway for Tinubu’s departure from Abuja today (Saturday) as he heads to Bissau for the 63rd session of the authority of heads of state and government.
Diplomatic sources have confirmed the forthcoming transition, marking President Tinubu’s first international engagement on the African continent since assuming office as the President of Nigeria. Former President Muhammadu Buhari previously held the ECOWAS Chairmanship in 2018.
The summit, which will be attended by regional heads of state, is expected to address important sub-regional matters. These include reviewing a report on security challenges, assessing the financial situation of ECOWAS, evaluating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and considering reports on transitional progress in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
ECOWAS, established in 1975, comprises 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.
