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Tag: ECOWAS

Buhari Attends Virtual ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit Over Mali Crisis
President Muhammadu Buhari has attended the second extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government over the socio-political situation in Mali.
The summit had in attendance, all Presidents in the region alongside the ECOWAS President, Jean Claude Kassi Brou.
Channels Television gathered that the discussions centered on finding a lasting solution to the political instability in Mali.
The government of President Ibrahim Keita was recently toppled in a bloodless coup earning the country sanctions from ECOWAS.
The military junta in place, National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), requested a 3-year term in office after which they would return the country to civilian rule.
Several talks between the new Junta and ECOWAS for a return to civilian rule ended in deadlocks after a high-level delegation led by former President Goodluck Jonathan to Bamako failed to secure its demand.
There hasn’t been a response to this request yet from ECOWAS, but it is expected that this will be discussed at this extraordinary summit.
Meanwhile, Mali’s military leader hinted on Thursday that former President Ibrahim Keita had been freed after he was detained in the August 18 coup.
Physically present at the statehouse in Abuja to attend the meeting were the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari; alongside the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Defence ‎Bashir Magashi and the Director-general of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
August 28, 2020
CSOs, ECOWAS Honours NYCN President
Civil Societies for Good Governance and ECOWAS Youth Council have conferred on the President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Solomon Adodo an award for
of effective performance and recommendation for higher responsibility.
The groups while presenting the award in Abuja on Monday also asked Nigeria to prioritise efforts towards building the youth for national development.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs at
a brief ceremony graced by their representatives and the ECOWAS Youth Council, President of Civil Societies for Good Governance, Come. Dominic Ogakwu, said the call became necessary following series of promises made by successive government officials and other youth stakeholders without making adequate commitment towards implementation.
Ogakwu maintained that time has come for the nation to make concise efforts in building the youth rather than paying lip service.
He expressed optimism that the new leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria was leading in the course to repositioning the youth towards productivity and national development.
“The new leadership of NYCN is unifying all youth groups and is focused to drive this initiative. This is the first time in the history of NYCN that it has a unifying figure at the helm of affairs that is setting agenda for inclusive youth emancipation.
“The current President is never resting in amplifying the needs of the youth in a selfless and patriotic manner. The NYCN has set agenda for productivity.
“We are here to hold his hand up and to assure him that the vision is achievable. We are here to close ranks, to form a think tank to help foster the laudable initiative of the youth towards becoming productive.
“We are confident with the processes that has been put in place by the President of NYCN to harnessing youth potentials for productivity. We are willing to commit resources towards this efforts”, Ogakwu noted.
Also speaking, the ECOWAS Youth Council Ambassador, Austin Peacemaker stressed that the new leadership of NYCN has within a short period help in salvaging the image of the nation.
“The leadership of the NYCN is on the verge of changing the narrative of Nigerian been recognised as failed state to a working state.
“The NYCN has for long been led by mediocre, the reason we had several factions in the council. Thankfully, the new leadership is not only focused but unifying the youth for productivity and national development”, Peacemaker added.
In his response, the President of NYCN, Solomon Adodo thanked the groups for finding him worthy of their recognition.
He explained that though Nigeria was inundated with challenges of hunger, insecurity amongst others, emphasising the challenges was not a viable path to follow but rather think of creative ways to make progress.
Adodo hinted that the several initiatives of the President Muhammad Buhari led Federal Government such as the Youth Investment Fund would witness industries and viable jobs spring up within a short period.
He assured that the NYCN will ensure that the Fund is judiciously applied for the benefit of the youths and the nation’s economy.
“If the youths are well and meaningfully engaged, the youths would not easily fall prey to insecurity and other vices. We are engaging the youths from all around the country, the mechanics, the bricklayers etc to make them useful to themselves and the nation”.
According to Adodo, criminals in our society take advantage of the youths that have been abandoned and not properly situated in the society to cause mayhem.
August 25, 2020
ECOWAS Suspends Mali Over Coup, Imposes Sanctions
The West Africa bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday condemned a military putsch in Mali and pledged a range of retaliatory actions, including financial sanctions.
Rebel soldiers arrested Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse on Tuesday afternoon following weeks of political tension in the country.
The dramatic move followed the seizure of an army base near the capital Bamako that morning.
In a statement, the Economic Community for West African States said that its members would close land and air borders to Mali and pledged to demand sanctions against “all the putschists and their partners and collaborators”.
The 15-nation bloc — which includes Mali — also said that it would suspend the country from its internal decision-making bodies.
“ECOWAS has noted with great concern the seizure of power by Malian military putschists,” said the statement, which was originally published in French.
Mali has been in the grip of a deep political impasse since June, with President Keita facing increasingly strident demands for his resignation.
The opposition June 5 Movement, named for the date of its first protest, has been channelling deep anger over a dire economy, perceived government corruption and a brutal jihadist conflict.
The opposition alliance’s anti-Keita campaign veered into crisis last month when at least 11 people were killed over three days of unrest that followed a protest.
In an effort to avoid chaos in notoriously unstable Mali, ECOWAS then stepped in to mediate.
The bloc suggested the formation of a unity government and other measures late last month, but stuck by Keita.
But the June 5 Movement has repeatedly spurned compromise proposals, and has continued to demand Keita’s departure.
The political opposition declared a new phase of anti-government rallies on Monday.
Keita, 75, is currently being held by rebel soldiers outside of the capital
August 19, 2020
Fire guts Finance, Account department of ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja
On Tuesday night, Fire gutted a section at the Accounts and Finance department of the Economic Community of West African States Commission secretariat, Asokoro, Abuja.
It was gathered that the fire affected the floor accommodating the Department of Finance and Account of the commission.
First responders including firefighters have since been drafted to the incident scene.
August 5, 2020
Nigeria contributed $1.17bn to ECOWAS in 16 years
Nigeria has paid more than 1,177 billion dollars to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as its Community Levy contribution in the last 16 years.
According to documents from a presentation by the ECOWAS Commission to Parliament at Plenary during its Virtual Second Extraordinary Session, Nigeria paid 853,310,564 UA (West Africa Unit of Account) for the period under review.
The West African Unit of Account (WAUA) is the authorised currency used in ECOWAS. The exchange rate for July obtained from ECOWAS shows that one Unit of Account equals 1.3799633 dollars.
Nigeria’s payment represents 40.42 per cent of the total payment of 2,913,088,908 dollars payment made by all the 15 member states, and is higher than payments made by 12 other countries put together except Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
Ghana paid about 508,577 million dollars, Cote d’Ivoire 347,262 million dollars, while Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo paid a total of 879,711 million dollars.
Ghana’s payment represents 17.45 per cent of the total sum, Cote d’Ivoire 11.9 per cent, while the cumulative payment by the other 12 countries represents 30.1 per cent.
Within the period under review, Guinea Bissau paid the lowest amount of 6, 204 million dollars, representing 0.2 per cent of total community levy proceeds in the 16 years under review.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Community levy was adopted in 1996 by the Authority of Heads of State as the major funding for ECOWAS after the initial contribution regime seemed ineffective.
However, the Community Levy Protocol took effect in 2003 when all member states started its application.
The protocol stipulates that the taxable base shall be all goods originating from third countries (non-ECOWAS countries) imported into the community.
Also in the presentation to Parliament, there were certain exemptions to the tax on imported goods. These included aids and grants to support development projects and goods imported under a financial agreement with foreign partners.
A further look into the community levy data showed that many countries were yet to pay the total sum from their community levy assessments.
Based on the assessment, if all countries had paid in full, the sub-regional body would have gotten more than 3,710 billion dollars as against the 2,913 billion dollars paid, leaving a deficit of 797,215 million dollars.
Based on this assessment, Nigeria had paid 64 per cent of its payments, leaving an outstanding of 36 per cent.
Going by the above, if all countries had paid their complete levy, Nigeria alone would have paid more than 1,842 billion dollars, representing 49.64 per cent of the total Community Levy accruable to ECOWAS.
July 29, 2020
Buhari Arrives In Mali On Peace Mission
President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Mali on a one-day visit aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis in the country.
The President’s arrival was confirmed in a tweet by his personal assistant on new media, Mr Bashir Ahmad.
According to an earlier statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s planned visit followed the briefing by the ECOWAS Special Envoy to the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The statement adds that President Buhari and the ECOWAS Chairman, President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic had already agreed to meet in Mali to engage in further consultations towards finding a political solution to the crisis in the country.
The two leaders are expected to be joined by the Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire respectively.
“We will ask the President of Niger, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS to brief us as a group, and we will then know the way forward,” President Buhari was quoted as saying.
July 23, 2020
WTO: Okonjo Iweala Appreciates Buhari, NASS, ECOWAS for support
Dr Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala has expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly for nominating and supporting her candidacy for Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) position.
“I want to also thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, the Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and the Nigerian ambassadors to Switzerland, WTO as well as the Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, “ she said.
Iweala who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Geneva, also thanked ECOWAS for endorsing her candidacy as the race for the WTO Director General position enters the selection phase.
She is vying for the top job alongside candidates from Kenya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UK, Moldova, Mexico and the Republic of Korea.
Yesterday, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo inaugurated a Campaign Strategy team for her in a bid to win the WTO top job.
Adebayo while inaugurating the team in Abuja said the setting up of a Campaign Strategy team was key to ensuring that she got the top job.
According to the minister, the decision of President Buhari to nominate her as Nigeria’s candidate for the position was taken in good faith, given the overriding consideration of the need to use Africa’s chance for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at the world’s top trade post
All the candidates are in Geneva to make presentations to the WTO General Council and addressed the press from July 15th – 17th.
July 17, 2020
COVID-19: ECOWAS, WAHO donate $8m medical equipment to PTF
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 took delivery of two ventilators and other critical medical equipment donated by ECOWAS and the West African Health Organisation, to support Nigeria’s fight against coronavirus.
The medical equipment worth 8 million dollars was handed over to the PTF on COVID-19 on Saturday at the Premier Medical Warehouse, Abuja.
Receiving the items, Mr Boss Mustapha, PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that partnership is needed, being the only option with which the world could overcome the pandemic.
Mustapha was represented at the event by Mr Olusegun Adekunle, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF).
He said that the pandemic had been devastating not just in the African continent but also at the global level.
The SGF urged ECOWAS member states to recommit themselves to the fight against COVID-19, to safe the region.
According to him, the response to the disease is an ongoing process that requires a rapid and flexible response that should be based on listening, verification and commitment.
Mustapha stated that the pandemic was not over and the region could not let up on their commitment to one another.
He cited three major reasons the virus had continued to spread around:
“They are my colleagues, so, I can speak without the mask.
“They are my close friends, so, I can speak without the mask.
“They are my relations, so, I can speak without the mask. Don’t make the above three mistakes… save yourself and others,” he advised.
Mustapha, however, commended ECOWAS/WAHO for the donations, noting that some of the items were scarce commodities being chased after by some other countries in desperate need of them.
“We acknowledge that the donations are useful. The items are being chased globally, even if you have the resources, you might not get them.
“The donation is gratifying because hundreds of medical personnel have been infected perhaps due to lack of kits. It will be used judiciously and it will be accounted for.
“We received these items with thanks,” he noted.
Also speaking, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the donations were critical supplies in the COVID-19 response strategy.
“I wish to convey the appreciation of His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and of the people of Nigeria to ECOWAS and WAHO for this brotherly gesture.
“We also appreciate the choice of Abuja by ECOWAS and WAHO, as the central hub for receipt and distribution of regional supplies of medical products and equipment for the fight against COVID-19,” he said.
Ehanire said that it was a great indication of confidence and Nigeria would play the role in providing support to the fellow member states in the ECOWAS subregion to fight the pandemic, of which President Buhari was recently designated Champion of the COVID-19 response.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said that the biggest standout difference in the response to COVID-19 in the country and the 2014 Ebola outbreak was increased collaboration across West African Health Institutions, as demonstrated by the support received from ECOWAS and WAHO.
“We’re grateful for the medical supplies received and offer our commitment to account for each and every one of them, as we respond to this outbreak,” he noted.
Earlier, Prof. Stanley Okoro, Director-General, WAHO, said that the organisation had established a regional distribution hub during the pandemic, working with the agency, the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (ECOWAS- RCSDC).
Okoro noted that the current consignment was procured with funds from the German Government (BMZ through GIZ) and the German Development Bank (KFW) and supplemented by funds from ECOWAS Commission and WAHO.
He challenged every citizen of West Africa to make a pact with 10 of their friends or family to practise scrupulous personal hygiene and responsible social distancing, to never be out in public without a face mask and to encourage each other to keep the pact during the pandemic.
“You will be amazed at how quickly this pandemic will go down in your community,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria( NAN) reports that the medical consumables donated were two ventilators and two ventilator trolleys, 40, 512 diagnostic test kits, 5,000 locally made sanitiser and 10, 000 surgical masks.
Others were 12, 000 N95 masks, 10, 000 surgical masks, 1, 600 face shields, 294, 000 gloves, 12, 800 googles, 8,190 overalls and 23, 220 gowns.
NAN reports that since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, WAHO had worked tirelessly to support the region and protect the populations.
The body had coordinated communication and collaboration between member states and between the region and partners.
WAHO had supported individual member states with critical medical supplies, diagnostic test kits, online training to build capacity, public health advisory and targeted funding for specific activities, to help flatten the curve of this pandemic. (NAN)
July 11, 2020
BREAKING: Buhari attends ECOWAS summit via teleconfrence
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently attending a virtual Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the West African Monetary Zone.
Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant on New Media to Buhari, made this known on his Twitter handle.
Among those sighted in the video uploaded are Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama.
Details later…
June 23, 2020
ECOWAS Commission denies ordering COVID Organic medication
The ECOWAS Commission has refuted a report that it, along with its health Institution, West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), has ordered COVID Organics (CVO) medicines.
The Directorate of Communications, ECOWAS Commission, debunked the report in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the ECOWAS Commission and WAHO reiterate their commitments to delivering on the decisions made by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at their recent Extraordinary Summit on the fight against COVID-19.
“We wish to disassociate ECOWAS and its health institution, West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), from this claim and inform the general public that we have not ordered the said CVO medication.
“We are aware that several claims of COVID-19 cure have been made in different parts of the world, but we can only support and endorse products that have been shown to be effective through scientific study.
“For this reason, WAHO is collaborating with relevant partners including WHO, African CDC, and national, regional and international research consortia to promote scientific search for a cure.
“We are working with member-states on some of the medications available for clinical trials and for use on a compassionate basis in selected severe cases.
“Some of the traditional medicine centres of excellence in the ECOWAS region are also currently investigating products of potential efficacy,” it said.
According to the statement, ECOWAS Commission and WAHO will continue to focus on delivering on the decisions made by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at their recent Extraordinary Summit on the fight against COVID-19.
“One of which is to strengthen cooperation among member-states in research, training and experience sharing in health matters in general and in the fight against COVID-19 in particular,” it said.
The statement said WAHO, as part of its mandate to safeguard and improve the health of the region’s population, remained committed to promoting rational traditional medicine practices and products in the ECOWAS region.
It said that over the years, WAHO has worked consistently with ECOWAS member-states to scientifically investigate plant medicines of proven efficacy.
It noted that the medicines were documented in the ECOWAS Pharmacopoeia of Traditional Medicines, the second edition of which would be published next two weeks.
It added that WAHO had, in the recent past identified, nurtured and supported centres of excellence in traditional medicine across ECOWAS region.
May 7, 2020