President Bola Tinubu is set to assume the position of the next chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). As reported by GistReel, Tinubu will be leaving Abuja on Saturday (today) in preparation for the upcoming meeting of the heads of state of the regional political and economic bloc, scheduled for Sunday.
The Nigerian leader is expected to succeed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, as reported by TheCable. The gathering of heads of state and government will convene in Bissau, the capital city of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Notably, it is worth mentioning that former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari previously held this position in 2018.
This upcoming ECOWAS meeting will mark Tinubu's first international engagement on the African continent since assuming office as Nigerian president in May 2023. Previously, he attended the 'A New Global Financing Pact' summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France, in June.
During the ECOWAS summit of heads of state, several pressing sub-regional issues will be addressed. These include reviewing the report of the 50th ordinary session of the mediation and security council, which focuses on security challenges faced by member countries, as well as examining the report of the 90th ordinary session of the ECOWAS council of ministers, which delves into the financial situation of the organization. Additionally, discussions will revolve around the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the status of transition in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Established in 1975, ECOWAS currently 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.
