President Bola Tinubu has said the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja signals a renewed commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa.
The President’s position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja, Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the complex, known as the “Eye of Africa,” as a symbol of the region’s collective resolve to uphold the ideals upon which ECOWAS was founded more than five decades ago.
He said the new headquarters represents renewal, resilience and confidence in the future of the regional bloc while urging member states to move beyond being a regional market to becoming a regional production base.
“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,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that ECOWAS has grown into one of the world’s most respected regional economic communities, recording significant achievements in peacebuilding, democratic governance, economic cooperation and the free movement of people, goods and services.
He, however, warned that the sub-region continues to face major threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, economic vulnerability, food insecurity, climate change, public health challenges and the rising expectations of its youthful population.
According to the President, the next phase of regional integration must focus on tangible economic transformation rather than rhetoric.
“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 stressed that deeper industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, expanded intra-regional trade, innovation, manufacturing and investment should define the future direction of ECOWAS.
Tinubu also addressed the recent withdrawal of three member states from the bloc, saying the development, alongside evolving security challenges in the region, has demonstrated that integration must extend beyond economic cooperation.
“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.
The President added that ECOWAS should keep its doors open to countries that have chosen to leave, emphasising the importance of renewed dialogue, stronger solidarity and collective responsibility.
Tinubu commended Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, for providing steady leadership during a challenging period.
He also congratulated the President and management of the ECOWAS Commission for completing the headquarters project, describing it as evidence of the region’s determination to build enduring institutions.
The President further expressed 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 partners and other stakeholders involved in its delivery.
“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.
In his remarks, President Julius Maada Bio said the new headquarters offers member states an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the more than 450 million people of West Africa while strengthening their resolve to build a more effective regional organisation.
He said history ultimately judges generations by the lives they improve rather than the structures they erect.
Bio also praised President Tinubu for Nigeria’s unwavering financial and leadership support to ECOWAS over the years, describing the country as “a great anchor” of the regional bloc.
He equally thanked the Chinese government for what he described as its “generous donation” of the new headquarters.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, expressed appreciation to the Chinese government and people for donating the building, describing it as a lasting symbol of regional partnership and integration that will enhance coordination and support for the Commission’s expanding mandate.
Touray highlighted China’s longstanding support to ECOWAS in areas such as equipment for the regional standby force and technological development, describing China as one of the bloc’s most strategic partners for economic, political and social transformation.
He assured that the Commission’s management and staff remain committed to ensuring the headquarters serves as a centre for regional transformation and stability.
Also speaking, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Yu Dunhai, congratulated the leaders and people of West Africa on the inauguration of the new complex, describing it as another milestone in China’s support for African integration and a reflection of the enduring relationship between China and Africa.
According to him, the future of China-ECOWAS relations will continue to be built on mutual trust and practical cooperation that enables African countries to independently pursue their development goals.
