President Bola Tinubu is set to conclude his second and final term as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) this weekend, marking the end of Nigeria’s current leadership of the regional bloc.
Tinubu was first elected Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on July 9, 2023, in Guinea Bissau. He was re-elected for a second term on July 7, 2024, during a summit held in Abuja. His tenure will officially end at this weekend’s summit at the Presidential Villa’s Banquet Hall in Abuja.
As ECOWAS prepares for a transition in leadership, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, acknowledged the upcoming change during the closing ceremony of the 94th Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on Friday.
“Let me sincerely appreciate each one of you for your cooperation and support to me over the last two years, as the Chair of this Council,” Tuggar said.
He noted that the summit agenda includes the election of a new ECOWAS Chair, adding, “This may be my last Council session as Chair.”
Tuggar expressed his gratitude for the collaboration he received from his colleagues throughout his tenure and encouraged continued unity under the incoming leadership.
“I enjoyed a very cordial working relationship with each one of you. I remain very grateful for your unalloyed support for the successes we recorded thus far,” he said. “I hope the same cooperation will be extended to whomever among us takes over the leadership of this Council.”
