The capital of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau, welcomed President Bola Tinubu on Saturday for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States.
The summit provided the President with the perfect excuse to pay a visit to the Nigerian contingent that is part of the ECOWAS Stabilization Force stationed there.
Dele Alake, Tinubu’s special adviser on special duties, communications, and strategy, revealed this in a statement.
The 63rd Ordinary Session summit, which begins on July 9, 2023, will mark the President’s first international appearance on the African continent since taking office on May 29, 2023.
President Tinubu will meet with other ECOWAS leaders to discuss trade, the economy, and security, among other topics. His plane landed at the international airport in Bissau at precisely 5:30 p.m. local time.
This occurred soon after President Emmanuel Macron of France had hosted a world summit with the theme “A new global financing pact” in Paris.
The 16 regional leaders are anticipated to speak on memos on critical sub-regional issues, such as the Report of the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council, which covers security challenges faced by the member countries, and the Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, which covers the organization’s financial situation and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
When visiting the Nigerian troops assigned to the ECOWAS Stabilization Force in Guinea-Bissau, Tinubu expressed his gratitude to the soldiers and their commander, General Al-Hassan Grema, for their commitment to serving Nigeria and the host nation, adding that Nigeria would continue to support democracy in West Africa and worldwide.
I’m here to stand in solidarity with you. We are committed to promoting peace and democracy not just in West Africa but also everywhere else, Tinubu was quoted as saying.
The acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Folashodun Shonubi, the national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the permanent secretaries of the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, and finance, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, Amb. Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, and ECOWAS, Amb. Musa Nuhu were all part of the president’s entourage.
Others in the group include Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State, former governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
