NIGERIAN President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), having served for a year tenure expected to elapse on July 9, 2024.
At the 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Sunday, July 7, Tinubu emerged for the second time as ECOWAS chairman.
His re-election will see him steer the affairs of the ECOWAS bloc for another year. He was unanimously emerged as the chairperson of ECOWAS on July 9, 2023.
During the summit, Tinubu urged the ECOWAS member states to make financial commitments to help in the fight against terrorism in the region.
“As we move to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasise that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.
“We must therefore ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of defence and finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilise our region. Member states must make extra commitments on providing resources for stabilising the region,” Tinubu said in his opening remark, Channels Television quoted.
In the last year of his leadership as ECOWAS chairman, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have abandoned the regional bloc and formed a military rule which following coups d’etat that ousted their civilian governments.
Efforts by the ECOWAS bloc to prevail on the countries to return to the bloc and civilian rule have yet to yield the expected results despite its politico-economic sanctions.
From the onset of his chairmanship, Tinubu had made it clear that threats to regional security were destabilising and should be quickly taken more seriously.
Despite the peace he sought among the bloc, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso on Saturday, July 6, reportedly formed a new alliance, and had signed a confederation treaty not to return to the ECOWAS bloc.
“On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level, and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive.
“In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace insecurity,” Tinubu had said.