President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, serving as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, delivered a compelling address during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Lagos. At the event he paid tribute to General Yakubu Gowon, the sole surviving founding father of the regional bloc, and emphasized the urgent need for youth empowerment and the translation of policies into tangible actions across the West African region.
President Tinubu’s keynote speech at the ECOWAS celebration highlighted the organization’s achievements in regional integration, trade liberalization, and peacekeeping. He stressed the need for accelerated implementation and deliberate investments in human capital, particularly in empowering youth and women through education, entrepreneurship, and leadership development. He urged member states to match policy with action to ensure citizens feel the real impact of shared efforts, aiming to pass on a legacy of success to the youth of West Africa.
The celebration featured a symbolic reenactment of the 1975 ECOWAS treaty signing at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), the original venue of the founding treaty. Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving signatory of the original treaty, was present. Some other notable Dignitaries at the event worth mentioning are: President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of Liberia, President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové of Togo, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Chairman of the NIIA and former Nigerian Minister of External Affairs
President Tinubu concluded the event by calling for a vision of a borderless, prosperous, and peaceful West Africa driven by unity and shared destiny.
