The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has described China as one of its most strategic partners, citing the construction of its new 11-storey, $56.5 million headquarters in Abuja and Beijing’s sustained support for regional peace and security.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the headquarters on Thursday, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, said China had consistently backed the regional bloc’s integration agenda through infrastructure, security and development assistance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that China formally handed over the keys to the seven-hectare headquarters complex in April, ahead of Thursday’s commissioning ceremony.
Touray thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for providing what he described as “a regional landmark” that would serve as the headquarters of the ECOWAS Commission and other institutions.
He recalled that China had also strengthened ECOWAS’ peace and security architecture by providing military equipment and vehicles to support the deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
“These and many more interventions across our member states make China a very strategic partner for West Africa,” Touray said.
He commended China for completing and delivering the project within two years, describing the achievement as evidence of the country’s efficiency and commitment to its partnership with West Africa.
According to him, the headquarters symbolises the growing strength of China-ECOWAS relations and their contribution to regional peace, security and development.
“As we formally commission this remarkable edifice today, let it stand as a lasting symbol of unity, resilience and the strong partnership between West Africa and China, and indeed as a symbol of our shared destiny,” he said.
Touray also called for deeper regional integration, stronger international cooperation and renewed efforts to promote peace, economic transformation and improved livelihoods across West Africa.
China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, described the headquarters—known as the “Eye of West Africa”—as a flagship project under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
He said the facility reflected the shared vision outlined by President Xi Jinping and African leaders at the FOCAC Beijing Summit to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.
According to the ambassador, the commissioning marks another milestone in China’s longstanding support for African integration and demonstrates the strength of contemporary China-Africa cooperation.
He reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS in regional peacebuilding, development and improved livelihoods, while expanding cooperation in governance, culture, education, youth and sports.
“China remains a trustworthy friend and reliable partner to ECOWAS and all West African countries,” Yu said.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima described China as a dependable development partner, saying the new headquarters was a lasting symbol of the friendship between China and ECOWAS.
He noted that China’s development trajectory demonstrated how sustained vision, resilience and strategic investment could transform nations and regions.
President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also thanked China for the landmark project.
Bio said the new headquarters represented a lasting symbol of partnership and cooperation, but stressed that its true value would depend on how effectively ECOWAS used it to advance the aspirations of West Africans.
“We receive this headquarters with profound gratitude and an equally profound sense of responsibility.
“Its true legacy will be measured not by how it was built, but by how faithfully it advances the aspirations of the people of West Africa,” he said.
Source: NAN
