Excerpt: Tinubu says new ECOWAS headquarters will strengthen regional integration, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja would renew the region’s commitment to integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa.
The President also called for a shift from a regional market to a regional production base, saying West Africa must prioritise production over consumption to achieve sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new headquarters in Abuja, Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the new ECOWAS complex, known as the “Eye of Africa,” as a symbol of the region’s collective resolve to preserve the ideals that inspired the founding of the community more than five decades ago.
“Today marks not only the inauguration of an impressive landmark, but the renewal of a covenant, our covenant with the ideals of regional integration, solidarity and shared prosperity,” he said.
Tinubu said ECOWAS has remained one of the world’s most respected regional economic communities, recording major achievements in peacebuilding, democratic governance, economic cooperation and the free movement of people, goods and services.
He, however, warned that the region still faces serious challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, economic vulnerability, food insecurity, climate change, public health concerns and the expectations of a rapidly growing youthful population.
According to him, the next phase of West African integration must move beyond speeches and aspirations to practical economic transformation.
“The hour has come to transform our regional market into a regional production base. Our integration must increasingly be driven by what we produce rather than by what we consume, for a Community that consumes what it does not make will forever live at the mercy of the goodwill of others,” the President said.
He added that deeper industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, expanded intra-regional trade, innovation, manufacturing and investment must define the future of ECOWAS.
Tinubu also addressed the recent withdrawal of three member states from the bloc, saying the development and evolving security situation have demonstrated that regional integration can no longer be viewed solely from an economic perspective.
“Regional integration can no longer be an economic imperative alone. It has become a comprehensive framework for our collective security, our political stability, our sustainable development and the welfare of our peoples,” he said.
He added that the community’s doors must remain open to countries that have chosen to stand apart, stressing the need for renewed dialogue, deeper solidarity and collective responsibility.
The President commended Sierra Leone’s President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Julius Maada Bio, for his leadership during a challenging period.
Tinubu also congratulated the President and management of the ECOWAS Commission for delivering the project, saying the new headquarters reflects the region’s determination to build enduring institutions.
He expressed Nigeria’s and ECOWAS’ appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for financing the project, as well as Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company Limited, consultants, Nigerian counterparts and other stakeholders involved in its execution.
“May every decision taken within these walls advance the peace, the unity, the prosperity, and the dignity of the peoples of West Africa,” the President said.
Earlier, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, said the project gives member states the opportunity to renew their collective commitment to the more than 450 million people of West Africa while reaffirming their determination to build a stronger regional organisation.
According to him, history does not remember generations for the buildings they construct, but for the lives they transform.
He commended President Tinubu for Nigeria’s unwavering financial and leadership support to ECOWAS, describing the country as “a great anchor” of the regional bloc.
He also thanked the Government of China for its “generous donation” of the headquarters building.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, also expressed appreciation to China for donating the facility, describing it as a symbol of regional partnership and integration that would strengthen coordination and support for the Commission’s expanding mandate.
Touray recalled China’s contributions to ECOWAS in areas including support for the regional standby force and technology adoption, noting that Beijing remains one of the bloc’s most strategic partners for economic, political and social transformation.
He said the Commission’s management and staff were committed to ensuring the headquarters serves as a centre for regional transformation and stability.
In his goodwill message, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Yu Dunhai, congratulated ECOWAS leaders and citizens on the inauguration, describing it as another milestone in China’s support for Africa’s integration and a reflection of the enduring relationship between China and the continent.
He said the future of China-ECOWAS relations would continue to be built on mutual trust and practical cooperation that enables African countries to independently pursue their development aspirations.
Deji Elumoye
