Tinubu departs Nigeria to Guinea-Bissau for ECOWAS summit
President Bola Tinubu is set to depart Nigeria on Saturday, July 8, for Guinea-Bissau to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, in Bissau, the country’s capital.
The President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, revealed this in a statement he signed on Friday evening, titled ‘President Tinubu to attend ECOWAS summit in Guinea-Bissau.’
At the summit on Sunday, July 9, participants are expected to address memoranda on five pressing sub-regional issues.
They include “Report of the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council covering security challenges faced by the member countries; Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the financial situation of the body and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as Report on the status of Transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea,” Alake revealed.
Other items slated for discussion include; the Memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and the Report on Obstacles to the Free Movement of Goods on the Abidjan-Lagos corridor.
Guinea-Bissau is the first African State the President is visiting since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
So far, he has visited Paris, France, where he participated in the summit for ‘A New Global Financing Pact’ hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron from June 22-23.
From June 24 – 27, President Tinubu was in London for a private visit, where he reportedly met his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. So far, he has spent eight days on foreign engagements.
Some members of the Presidential Policy Advisory Council and other top government officials will accompany him.
The Nigerian leader is expected back in the country at the end of the meeting.