Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar says commemorating ECOWAS@50 would bolster member-countries’ commitment to advancing community growth.
Tuggar disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while briefing diplomatic correspondents on the sidelines of Nigeria’s readiness to host ECOWAS Member States in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the community.
The minister spoke on wide subjects of topical interest focused on the rational for the anniversary celebration in Lagos on May 28, 2025, as well as achievements of ECOWAS and the outlined programmes.
“We are talking about the ECOWAS trade liberalisation scheme that has proven to be very successful, allowed for increase in the volume of trade among the states and intra-regional trade.
“We are talking about the Abidjan-Lagos corridor. We are talking about the Abidjan-Dakar corridor. These are trade and transport corridors.
“We are talking about digitised-tracking of goods and containers within the region, about common external tariff and even, continental organisations that look towards ECOWAS as exemplary of successful funding.”
He mentioned other achievements by the community to include regulation of activities of government and people in different sectors.
He, however, said low volume of trade among countries within Africa posed challenges to the economy of the African continent.
He stated that President Bola Tinubu, other heads of state and government of the ECOWAS would attend the celebration slated to hold at the National Institute of International Affairs, where organisation was established in 1975.
