In a determined bid to restore unity and stability to the West African region, President Bola Tinubu has pledged to continue persuading the military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to rejoin the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“We’re committed to enhancing security and defending constitutional governance in our region,” President Tinubu said during a meeting with ECOWAS Chiefs of Defense Staff in Abuja on Friday. “It has been a challenging tenure for me since three members indicated their exit. We will work hard to persuade them to return, whichever way.”
The military governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso cut ties with ECOWAS earlier this year after the regional bloc imposed sanctions on them following coups in their countries.
The Nigerian President, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, made it clear that ECOWAS will not give up on its errant members. “We will do everything to offer a hand of friendship to them and give them reasons to come back to us,” he said.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
