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.
