Tinubu urges West African leaders to uphold ECOWAS founders’ vision

Speaking during a commemorative event at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos today, Tinubu emphasized the need for unity beyond colonial-era borders, urging member nations to see themselves as one family.

As Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Tinubu praised the vision of the bloc’s founders, who in 1975 envisioned a united and cooperative West Africa, defined by free movement, robust trade, and peaceful coexistence.

“Today marks not just 50 years of existence but a celebration of the enduring values of unity, resilience, and a shared future,” he said.

He paid special tribute to General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving founding leader, as well as other past and present regional heads who upheld integration, peace, and progress.

Tinubu highlighted ECOWAS’s achievements in areas such as peacekeeping, trade liberalization, cross-border cooperation, and responses to security threats and global health crises.

He noted that the bloc has successfully brought together Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone nations under a unified vision.

He also lauded initiatives like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme and the establishment of Joint Border Posts, which have enhanced regional trade, business, and cultural ties.

On governance and security, Tinubu cited ECOWAS’s roles in restoring democracy, combating terrorism, and enforcing the rule of law through institutions like the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice.

In terms of development, he referenced progress in agriculture, infrastructure, and digital innovation, especially under the ECOWAS Infrastructure Master Plan (2020–2045).

He stressed the need for stronger policy implementation and for citizens to experience real benefits from regional integration.

“Young people and women must be central to ECOWAS’s growth strategy,” he said, calling for targeted investments in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for regional capacity building, particularly through the Technical Aid Corps.

Looking ahead, Tinubu called on member states to renew their commitment to unity and shared development.

“This Golden Jubilee is not just a celebration of our past but a call to build a better future,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar applauded ECOWAS’s accomplishments in areas such as peacekeeping, democratic strengthening, trade, and infrastructure, including cross-border gas pipelines.

General Yakubu Gowon expressed pride in ECOWAS’s endurance over five decades, though he noted the recent withdrawals of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso as setbacks to regional unity. He expressed hope that the nations would eventually return.

“Don’t push them away. Keep the door open—they will come back,” Gowon said.

Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, described the bloc as Africa’s oldest and most active regional group.

The 50th-anniversary celebration kicked off with a symbolic re-enactment of the original ECOWAS declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).

The event was attended by leaders including Presidents Joseph Boakai (Liberia), Faure Gnassingbé (Togo), Umaro Sissoco Embaló (Guinea-Bissau), and foreign ministers from Ghana, Senegal, and Benin.