President Bola Tinubu will on Saturday leave Nigeria for Nairobi, the Kenyan capital to participate in the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union scheduled to hold on Sunday.
A statement by Mr Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, in Abuja on Friday said the meeting will also be for the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and the African Union Member States.
As the Chairperson of ECOWAS, Tinubu will join other Heads of State and Government, Foreign Ministers of the AU Member-States, and high-level dignitaries at the meeting.
The President will also present a report on the status of regional integration in ECOWAS.
He will highligh actions carried out during the period under review by ECOWAS institutions, member-states, the private sector, and other stakeholders to deepen integration through trade, free movement of persons, investment promotion, infrastructure development, peace, security and stability.
The 5th MYCM, which is convening under the AU’s theme for 2023 “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation”, will bring together the Bureau of the AU Assembly.
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The bureau comprises the Heads of State and Government from Comoros, Botswana, Burundi, and Senegal, as well as the leaders of the eight RECs.
These regional economic communities include ECOWAS chaired by Nigeria, the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Others are the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD), the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
The meeting will also involve the African Union Commission and the RMs.
Tinubu, who will be accompanied by senior government officials, is expected to return to the country at the end of the meeting.
Tinubu had on July 9, 2023 in Guinea Bissau emerged as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
As ECOWAS chairman, Tinubu will play a crucial role in leading the ECOWAS member-states towards economic development, political stability, and cooperation.
As the newly appointed chairman, Tinubu will collaborate closely with member states, regional institutions, and international partners to implement initiatives aimed at promoting economic growth, regional trade integration, and social development.
Additionally, he is expected to focus on strengthening the ECOWAS’ collective response to security threats and fostering closer cooperation among member states in addressing regional challenges.
