Tinubu arrives Guinea-Bissau for ECOWAS summit, visits Nigerian troops

Counsellor, Relationship and Marriage, Ruth Esumeh (left); chief host, Pastor Folake Daniels; motivational speaker, Ibukun Awosika; founder of Former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, former Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, Nigeria Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, James Usanga, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ibrahim Kana, President Bola Tinubu, Force Commander ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, Brigadier General Al-hassan Grema, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Lamuwa when President Tinubu visited the Nigerian Troops in Bissau on arrival for 63rd Ordinary Session of ECOWAS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived Bissau, capital of Republic of Guinea-Bissau, for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The trip came after his successful participation at the summit on “A New Global Financing Pact,” in Paris, France hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.

The President also used the opportunity of the summit to visit the Nigerian contingent stationed in the country under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force.

The Special Adviser to the president (Special Duties, Communications and Strategy), Dele Alake, in a statement, yesterday, said the 63rd Ordinary Session summit, opening today, will be the first international engagement of the President within the African continent since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Tinubu, whose plane touched down at the International Airport in Bissau at exactly 5.30pm local time, will be the centre of attraction at the summit.

The 16 regional leaders are expected to address memoranda on pressing sub-regional issues including Report of the 50th Ordinary
Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) covering security challenges faced by the member countries, Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the financial situation of the body and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He noted that the matters slated for consideration by the leaders are the Report on the status of Transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, Memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and the Report on Obstacles to Free Movement of Goods on the Abidjan- Lagos corridor.

Alake said upon his arrival, President Tinubu visited Nigerian troops under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force in Guinea-Bissau.

He expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the soldiers and their Commander, General Al-hassan Grema, for their dedication and
service to Nigeria and their host country, adding that Nigeria would continue to support democracy in West Africa and around the world.