Tinubu re-elected ECOWAS Chair, urges leaders to pay up bills to tackle insecurity
…Says West African bloc must leverage Nigeria’s expertise to combat terrorism
…Commission President cautions against geo-strategic rivalries
By Sodiq Adelakun and Matthew Denis
President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for another term.
The election took place during the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
In his acceptance speech, Tinubu appealed to ECOWAS leaders to fulfil their financial obligations to the body, stressing that substantial financial resources are crucial to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and combat terrorism, banditry, and violent extremism.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. We must operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism. I must emphasise that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources,” Tinubu said.
He urged member states to meet their financial commitments, stating that this would demonstrate their dedication to regional security and cooperation, enabling the community to better address the security challenges facing West Africa.
“Member states must make extra commitment to providing resources for stabilising the region. To this end, I urge ECOWAS to leverage the capability of the Nigeria National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), which is widely acknowledged as one of the best on the continent,” he added.
Tinubu also announced that Nigeria has decided to declare the NCTC as a regional centre, enabling all ECOWAS member states to benefit from capacity building and other related opportunities it offers.
The President further emphasised the importance of a conducive business environment to stimulate growth and build resilience against external shocks, urging member states to unite and develop innovative approaches to unlock the region’s economic potential and promote prosperity.
“I’m also fully aware of other challenges confronting our region, especially the economic hurdles that hinder our progress to elevate our people from poverty to prosperity. It is imperative that we unite as a community and develop innovative approaches to unleash our vast economic potential,” he said.
Tinubu assured that Nigeria is committed to leading by example by remitting its collected levies to the organisation, urging other member states to ensure full compliance with the protocol on community levies to ensure ECOWAS has adequate resources for its programs and activities.
Also, The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has warned that the region is still confronted with multidimensional challenges, including existential threats, despite the successful transition of power in several countries.
Speaking at the Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, Touray stated, “We look forward to the consolidation of this trend in the region as we prepare for a major election in Ghana later this year.”
However, he cautioned that the region faces numerous challenges, including climatic and man-made crises, terrorism, violent extremism, food insecurity, governance deficit, and marginalisation.
“Our region is still confronted with multiple interlocking threats, including existential works. This includes climatic and man-made crises, leading to terrorism, violent extremism and food insecurity. Livelihoods continued to be threatened by illegal and unsustainable exploitation of our land, forest and marine resources.”
He also noted that the region has become an arena for geo-strategic and geo-political rivalries, which has led to misinformation and disinformation, undermining social cohesion.
“Governance deficit and marginalisation have strained social contracts, engendering bitter rivalries and unhealthy competition. To complicate the situation, our region has become the arena of geo-strategic and geo-political rivalries and the theatre of misinformation and disinformation that engenders mistrust among and within communities and undermines social cohesion.”
Despite these challenges, Touray announced that the Commission has commenced preparation towards the 50th-anniversary celebration of the regional body.
He proposed a Special Extra-ordinary Summit on the future of the Community, stating, “It is however important to note that we will be celebrating our golden jubilee in a context marked by geostrategic and geopolitical rivalries that have not spared our region. We must therefore be proactive in our response to these developments.”
The Honourable Ministers have considered this proposal and instructed that a Memorandum be submitted for consideration.
