New ECOWAS Commission President, Birame Diop, has pledged to strengthen ties with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger despite their withdrawal from the regional bloc and formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Diop made the commitment on Monday in Abuja during his formal inauguration alongside the new management team of the ECOWAS Commission.
ECOWAS leaders confirmed his appointment in July at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government.
In his inaugural address, Diop said ECOWAS must urgently rebuild internal cohesion and intensify dialogue with the three former member states, describing the regional bloc as being at a critical crossroads.
He argued that geographical proximity and shared security and socioeconomic challenges made continued cooperation between ECOWAS and the AES countries unavoidable.
Diop noted that the two blocs share about 5,250 kilometers of borders and that their populations would continue to interact extensively.
“We have no other choice; our brothers, our neighbors, our comrades have left us, but geography remains the same,” he said.
“So we have no other choice than to work in a solidary, concerted manner for the interest of both spaces,” he added.
The ECOWAS president identified terrorism, irregular migration, transnational organized crime and environmental challenges as common threats requiring coordinated action.
Speaking at the ceremony, the outgoing ECOWAS Commission President, Dr Omar Touray, described the transition as a demonstration of confidence in the regional institution.
He stressed that strong institutions should outlive individual leaders.
“Leadership is temporary. Institutions endure. The strength of an institution is measured not by the individual who leads it, but by its ability to fulfill its purpose beyond any one tenure,” Touray said.
Touray said his administration recorded progress on major regional infrastructure and connectivity projects, including the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway.
He also highlighted achievements in regional electricity interconnection, trade and transport corridors, economic and monetary integration, preparations for the proposed launch of the ECO currency in 2027, as well as programs focused on food security, youth, women, education and skills development.
According to him, the West African Rice Investment Roundtable generated an investment pipeline worth about $1.54 billion, including $1.47 billion in firm commitments.
He further cited the connection of rural communities to national electricity grids under the regional electricity access project and progress on the regional battery storage program among the outgoing administration’s achievements.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, urged the new ECOWAS leadership to focus on regional integration, financial accountability, peace and security.
Tinubu described the leadership transition as evidence of continuity in the collective pursuit of regional integration.
“The objective should be an ECOWAS of citizens and not of governments, where artificial borders and narrow national interests no longer frustrate the bloc’s supranational objectives,” he said.
The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to ECOWAS’ growth, stability and development but demanded stronger financial discipline and accountability from the regional organization.
“For Nigeria, ECOWAS must continue to justify the huge investments and sacrifices that have been made, not just by the government and people of Nigeria, including the payment of community levy, but also by other member states in the sub-region to sustain the organization,” he said.
