President Bola Tinubu has said the opening of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja will renew the commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa.
He called the new building a symbol of renewal, of resilience, and of confidence in the future of ECOWAS and urged a shift from regional market to regional production base.
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Speaking at the commissioning of the new edifice on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the new ECOWAS complex, described as the “Eye of Africa,” is a symbol of the region’s collective resolve to preserve the ideals that inspired the founding of the community more than five decades ago.
“Today marks not only the inauguration of an impressive landmark, but the renewal of a covenant, our covenant with the ideals of regional integration, solidarity and shared prosperity,” the president said.
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President Tinubu said ECOWAS has remained one of the most respected regional economic communities in the world, with major progress in peace-building, democratic governance, economic cooperation, and the free movement of people, goods and services.
However, he warned that the region must not ignore the serious challenges still confronting it, including terrorism, violent extremism, economic vulnerability, food insecurity, climate change, public health concerns and the expectations of a growing youthful population.
According to him, the next stage of West African integration must shift from speeches and aspirations to practical economic transformation.
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“The hour has come to transform our regional market into a regional production base. Our integration must increasingly be driven by what we produce rather than by what we consume, for a Community that consumes what it does not make will forever live at the mercy of the goodwill of others,” the president said.
He said deeper industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, expanded intra-regional trade, innovation, manufacturing, and investment must now define the future of ECOWAS.
The president also addressed the recent withdrawal of three member states from the bloc, noting that the development and the changing security situation in the region have shown that integration can no longer be viewed only through an economic lens.
“Regional integration can no longer be an economic imperative alone. It has become a comprehensive framework for our collective security, our political stability, our sustainable development and the welfare of our peoples,” he said.
He added that the door of the community must remain open to countries that have chosen to stand apart, stressing the need for renewed dialogue, deeper solidarity and collective responsibility.
President Tinubu commended President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, for what he described as steady leadership at a time that demands courage and conviction.
He also congratulated the president and management of the ECOWAS Commission for delivering the project, saying the new headquarters reflects the region’s determination to build institutions that can endure.
He expressed Nigeria’s and ECOWAS’ appreciation to the government of the People’s Republic of China for financing the new complex, as well as Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company Limited, consultants, Nigerian counterparts and other stakeholders involved in the project.
“May every decision taken within these walls advance the peace, the unity, the prosperity, and the dignity of the peoples of West Africa,” the president said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, said the landmark project affords member states the opportunity to renew their collective promise to the 450 million people of West Africa, while declaring their shared determination to build a more effective regional body.
According to him, history does not remember generations for the buildings they construct, but for the lives they transform.
He appreciated President Bola Tinubu for Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to ECOWAS through sustained financial and leadership support over the years, describing the nation as “a great anchor” of the West African bloc.
He also appreciated the Government of China for its “generous donation” of the bloc’s headquarters building.
For his part, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, expressed the commission’s deep appreciation to the government and people of China for the generous donation of the monument, which, according to him, will stand as a symbol of regional partnership and integration, and a centre for enhancing coordination and support for the expanding mandate of ECOWAS as a regional body.
He recalled China’s contributions and support in many sectors across ECOWAS, including equipment support for the regional standby force and technology adoption, among others, noting that China remains one of the region’s most strategic partners for economic, political and social transformation.
Mr Touray said the management and staff of the commission were mindful of the task ahead and the collective responsibility of ensuring that the new headquarters serve as a centre of regional transformation and social stability.
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In a goodwill message, the Ambassador of China to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Yu Dunhai, extended his country’s congratulations to the leaders and people of the West African sub-region on the occasion of the inauguration of the edifice, which he noted marks another milestone in China’s commitment to Africa’s integration and an illustration of the country’s lasting bond with Africa.
Mr Dunhai added that the future of China’s relationship with ECOWAS and, by extension, Africa, is hinged on mutual trust and commitment to a more pragmatic cooperation that enables Africa to independently determine its development aspirations and pathways.
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