President Bola Tinubu will attend the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, today.
In a statement on Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to
Tinubu, said the economic summit, which enters its second and final day today,
precedes the 67th ordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS).
The ECOWAS summit is scheduled to be held at the State House
Conference Centre, Abuja, on Sunday.
“An initiative of President Tinubu in his capacity as
Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, WAES is the
first of its kind and is convened to deepen regional economic integration. Its
strong focus is on enhancing trade and investment cooperation across the
subregion,” Onanuga said.
“Presidents of Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The
Gambia, Benin, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau have confirmed their participation at
the Economic Summit, which is expected to yield concrete outcomes and
deliverables to fast-track West Africa’s integration agenda as a critical
foundation for sustainable peace, security, and prosperity in the region.
“Those attending the summit are Ministers of Finance, Trade,
Infrastructure, and Foreign Affairs from the ECOWAS Member States, as well as
representatives from regional economic bodies such as the West African Monetary
Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), ECOWAS Bank for
Investment and Development (EBID), the West African Economic and Monetary Union
(UEMOA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
“Private sector leaders, development partners, and policy
experts are also participating. President Tinubu extended invitations to the
Member States of the Alliance of Sahelian States and Mauritania to demonstrate
his commitment to inclusive dialogue and regional cooperation.”
Onanuga said the president had dispatched a team of special
envoys to deliver formal invitations to heads of state and government across
the region ahead of the summit.
He added that Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for
foreign affairs, led the delegation, which included Ambassador Sola
Enikanolaiye, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and
international relations.
At the WAES on Friday, Tayo Aduloju, chief executive officer
of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), said Africa must address
infrastructure inefficiencies and harmonise the interpretation of trade
protocols across borders.
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