According to a statement from his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu spoke in Accra, the Ghanaian capital while presenting the achievements of ECOWAS in the past year at the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union ,AU,
Detailing the efforts on the humanitarian and social development front, President Tinubu said ECOWAS has allocated $9 million to assist persons of concern, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers.
Presenting the achievements of ECOWAS in the past one year at the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, said the Community has activated a Standby Force to counter terrorism and will continue to explore funding options.
The President said ECOWAS has been supporting member states to enhance electoral and governance processes, and recently deployed Election Observation Missions to Senegal and Togo – both of which elections were adjudged to be peaceful, transparent, and fair.
He also highlighted the facilitation of the signing of an Agreement for National Unity in Sierra Leone, noting that the sub-regional body will continue to work with stakeholders in the country to implement the provisions of the Agreement. The President disclosed that consultations are ongoing to revise the ECOWAS 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
On economic integration, President Tinubu said ECOWAS has implemented activities to consolidate the free trade area, customs union, and common market. Foregrounding the progress on energy, mines, and agriculture, President Tinubu said ECOWAS is advancing electrification efforts in The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mali through the ECOWAS-Regional Electricity Access Project ,ECOREAP.
On other ECOWAS institutions, President Tinubu stated that the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament elected its first female President, the Right Honourable Maimunatu Ibrahim from Togo, and that The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice reviewed fifteen new cases, held thirty-three court sessions, and delivered eleven judgments.
However, the President noted that the bloc faces multiple threats, including member states withdrawing, geopolitical rivalries, terrorism, food insecurity, climate change, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. He said ECOWAS will continue to dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to maintain unity and will convene a Special Extra-ordinary Summit on the future of the Community.