President Bola Tinubu will today leave for Nairobi to participate in the fifth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and African Union member states.
As the chairman of ECOWAS, the Nigerian leader will join Heads of State and governments, foreign ministers of AU member states and high-level dignitaries at the meeting which will take place tomorrow.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, the president will present a report on the status of regional integration in ECOWAS, highlighting actions carried out during the period under review by ECOWAS institutions, member states, the private sector and other stakeholders to deepen integration through trade, free movement of persons, investment promotion, infrastructure development, peace, security and stability.
He said the meeting which is convening under the AU’s theme for 2023 christened; “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation,” would bring together the bureau of the AU Assembly comprising Heads of State and governments from Comoros, Botswana, Burundi and Senegal, as well as the leaders of the eight RECs.
Alake said; “These regional economic communities include ECOWAS chaired by Nigeria, the East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD), Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
“The meeting will also involve the African Union Commission and the RMs. President Tinubu, who will be accompanied by senior government officials, is expected to return to the country at the conclusion of the meeting.”
