ECOWAS Must Work Together, In Partnership With US, France – Presidency

The Presidency has said President Bola Tinubu’s visit to France would be of immense benefit to the country among other countries in West Africa.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, said there was a need for members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to work together in partnership with the United States, France and other developed nations for the development of the region

Ademola Oshodi stated this on Monday while speaking on the impact of the President’s state visit to France, on Television Continental (TVC).

He explained that by virtue of France’s ties to most countries in West Africa, the state visit has positioned Nigeria among other countries in ECOWAS.

“Nigeria is surrounded by Francophone nations, and France plays a pivotal role in West Africa. This relationship benefits us, particularly as these other countries face challenges in engaging with France. Nigeria is a great trading bloc for them in ECOWAS.

“It’s for them to leverage the unique opportunity Nigeria gives them, especially with the leadership of Bola Tinubu, and ensure that multilateralism and democracy really take hold in those countries.

“The French may have their own issues with each country, but the French influence and their culture are pertinent in those places. And you cannot erase your history, you can only find ways to work with it for your own respectability sovereignty, and development,” he said.

Oshodi noted that West African countries under military regimes may not have access to loans that they need for developmental projects. He stressed that military regimes without opposition may not give citizens good governance.

He also decried the absence of freedom to go under military rule. He further called on West African nations under military rule to rejoin the region’s economic bloc, ECOWAS.

“The days of military rules are over. Nobody rules a country with a gun and expects development. Who is going to give you a loan? who is going to give you a seat at the table? There’ll be people in your country, civil society groups, aching and begging and fighting for a say. You can’t criticize a military government. How do you develop if you don’t have an opposition?

“All these things are what the Nigeria President has been speaking to them about silently, and to ensure that they come back to the ECOWAS fold and to work together for peace and security, especially security that affects everybody in West Africa. We must work together in ECOWAS, with the partnership of French and the Americans and anybody else that is ready to help us,” the Nation quoted him.