President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to work assiduously in tackling poverty and high unemployment among youth.
He also charged them to invest in education, innovation and skill acquisition while promoting peace and inclusion.
The President stated these on Tuesday in Accra, Ghana, during the official launch of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee.
Represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the President who said ECOWAS was a bold vision created by its founding fathers on May 28, 1975, noted the vision had crystallised.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, MAGNUS EZE , the President said that it was for that reason that the member states and their people were celebrating 50 years of progress, unity and resilience while rekindling the flame of solidarity that had guided the region through triumphs and trials.
He congratulated the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, saying that his visionary leadership, unwavering dedication, and steadfast commitment to regional integration and development ideals had been a source of inspiration and strength.
“Under your stewardship, Ghana remains a beacon of democratic governance, economic progress, and regional solidarity. Your efforts in championing the upliftment of our dear region through diplomacy, collaboration, and transformative policies deserve our most profound appreciation and admiration,” President Tinubu said.
Tinubu commended the tireless efforts and unwavering dedication of the ECOWAS Commission staff, noting that their professionalism, commitment, and collaborative spirit were instrumental in making the day’s event a resounding success.
Part of President Tinubu’s speech read: “Five decades ago, our founding fathers from 15 nations envisioned regional economic integration, cooperation, and shared prosperity.
“From the original Treaty of Lagos in 1975 to this momentous gathering here in Accra, ECOWAS has remained a pillar of integration and a beacon of hope for over 400 million citizens across our region.
“Remarkably, our journey over the past five decades has not been without challenges. We have faced political instability, economic hardship, infrastructural deficits, and security threats. But we remain undaunted.
“We shall not relent in our commitment to a united, peaceful, purposeful, and prosperous West Africa.
The President stated that, there had been a remarkable achievements that distinguish ECOWAS as the most successful regional economic community on the African continent, “We have established one of Africa’s most vibrant free trade areas in five decades, fostering intra-regional commerce and lifting millions from poverty.
“We have championed peace through ECOMOG’s valiant efforts, mediating conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
According to him, “We have introduced the ECOWAS passport, symbolising our commitment to free movement, advanced democratic norms, standing firm against tyranny and supporting transitions to constitutional governance.
“However, the journey toward a truly united and prosperous region is far from over, there is the need to confront the hard truths of the present reality.
“Despite our shared vision, too many of our citizens still live in poverty, too many of our children lack access to quality education, and too many of our youth remain unemployed, disillusioned, or forced to seek opportunities abroad.
“Our region continues to grapple with new and evolving threats — violent extremism, climate change and food insecurity. The wave of unconstitutional changes in our region seriously threatens the democratic gains we have painstakingly built.
Tinubu explained that, “as the current Chair of ECOWAS, I reaffirm Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the fundamental principles that bind us: democracy, the rule of law, good governance, and regional solidarity.
“He noted that, the new character must reimagine ECOWAS as not just a Community of States but a Community of People.
In his words “We must place our young, dynamic, creative, and resilient people at the centre of our agenda, deepen our integration, accelerate the realisation of a single currency and strengthen infrastructure corridors to connect markets and minds.
Let us use this Jubilee as a moment of renewal, rededicate ourselves to the spirit of Pan-Africanism, build an ECOWAS that is more resilient, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of the people.
President said “Our strength lies in our unity. Nigeria pledges to collaborate with every nation—large or small—to build an ECOWAS that is resilient to confront the challenges of our time.
“May the next 50 years be etched in history as an era when West Africa rose—united, prosperous, and unstoppable,” he stated.
