The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has reaffirmed the organization's commitment to advancing regional integration and development in West Africa. Speaking at the 93rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on December 12-13, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria, Dr. Touray highlighted the challenges faced by the region but expressed optimism about overcoming them with adequate resources.
“This Council of Ministers Meeting is being held under particularly challenging circumstances," said Dr. Touray. "While we continue to respect the decisions taken in support of regional integration, it is undeniable that we are encountering significant obstacles that demand our attention."
Dr. Touray thanked Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar for their support and emphasized ECOWAS's dedication to fostering peace and stability across West Africa.
“Recent deliberations have underscored the importance of mediation and dialogue to resolve pressing challenges," he added.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Chairman of ECOWAS Council of Ministers and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, opened the meeting by stressing the need for an environment conducive to private sector growth as a means to enhance regional integration.
“Our governments must continue to make concerted efforts to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive,” said Ambassador Tuggar.
He also praised ECOWAS's humanitarian interventions in member states and urged stronger commitments from member states toward improving intra-regional trade.
“The current intra-regional trade percentage...is significantly low compared to other regions," he noted.
Over two days, ministers from ECOWAS member states will discuss key issues such as governance, security, infrastructure, energy, communication technology among others aimed at improving citizen well-being within the community.
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