Nigeria, Others Review Political Situation in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso

  Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Nigeria will this weekend join other West African countries to review the political situation in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, where the military seized power.

To this end, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday departed Lagos for Accra, Ghana to represent Nigeria at the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of the  ECOWAS Heads of State and Government holding today.

Osinbajo, who is standing in for President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting, according to a statement by his media aide, Mr Laolu Akande, will join other leaders to deliberate and take decisions on the political, security and humanitarian issues among others regarding the sub-region at the regular ECOWAS summit.

The meeting will also review the situations in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, particularly towards restoring democratic rule.

West African leaders had since 2020 held several sessions, including emergency meetings, dedicated to finding lasting solutions to the resurgence of coups in some of the countries in the sub-region.

At the summit today, the Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS will update leaders on political developments in the region and the Sahel region.

The Council will also provide updates on the issues of insecurity, challenges relating to youth unemployment and the impact of diseases and pandemics on social tensions in the region.

President Buhari on  June 4, 2022, in Accra, Ghana, joined other ECOWAS leaders to deliberate on the situation in the sub-region, urging more attention to be paid to the victims of unconstitutional change of government

On the sidelines of the summit, the vice president will also attend a meeting of the five West African countries involved with “The Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project,” a flagship project of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) which connects the capitals of five West African states (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria) and stretches for approximately 1,028 kilometres.

According to a release from the ECOWAS Commission, the objective of the $42million project is “to promote cross-border trade, integrate economies within the ECOWAS area, reduce transport costs, stimulate inter-regional trade and strengthen regional integration in West Africa.

Osinbajo, who will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada and some other members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is expected back in Abuja today evening.