President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with fellow heads of state and government representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is currently convening an Extraordinary Summit at the Conference Centre of the State House in Abuja.
The 66th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government is convening at a crucial moment, as the region confronts significant political and security challenges.
This session will focus on advancing regional economic integration and ensuring institutional stability.
This summit takes place amidst regional concerns, following the announcement of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s decision to withdraw from ECOWAS.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have now aligned under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), utilising this new platform to reshape their relationship with the regional bloc.
This alignment raises questions about their future status within West Africa.
The 66th ordinary session will also review the organisation’s sanctions imposed on the three AES nations following recent military coups, to balance diplomatic efforts with its fundamental commitment to promoting democracy.
The 66TH Ordinary Session
The meeting will address pressing issues
such as tackling the surge of terrorism in the Sahel and political instability in member states.
The ECOWAS meeting will also discuss accelerating the adoption of the ECO, ECOWAS’s proposed single currency, and bolstering trade among member states.
The leaders of the regional bloc will also review progress and timelines in countries under military rule, with emphasis on shorter transitions to civilian governance.
During its last summit, President Bola Tinubu appointed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to mediate between ECOWAS and the trio of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
President Faye’s report is also expected to be presented before the ECOWAS leaders.
Other issues of concern raised during the ECOWAS Council of Ministers that are expected to be discussed during the heads of states summit are payment of community levies by member states and the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade liberalisation Scheme which involves free movement of persons and goods.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu got a fresh mandate for the sub-regional leadership at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with his re-election as chairman.
President Tinubu’s sub-regional leadership over the past 12 months has witnessed smooth democratic transitions in Liberia, Senegal and Ghana.
As of December 2024, the remaining member states of ECOWAS are Benin Republic, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States, Alliance des États du Sahel, a confederation formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
AES originated as a mutual defence pact created on 16 September 2023, following the 2023 Nigerien crisis.
All three member states are still listed officially by the ECOWAS Commission as members of ECOWAS though still under the control of juntas, following a string of successful coups, the 2021 Malian coup d’état, the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d’état, and the 2023 Nigerien coup d’état.
The confederation was established on 6 July 2024.
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