President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave Abuja on Tuesday for Lagos to celebrate, along with other leaders, the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The ECOWAS golden jubilee was flagged off in Accra last month.
The Lagos events will include reenacting the 1975 declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Victoria Island.
At the Eko Hotels and Suites event, President Tinubu, the Chairman of ECOWAS, will highlight the economic bloc’s milestones.
The Chairman of the NIIA and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, will review the bloc’s 50-year journey, which panellists at the NIIA will later analyse.
The only surviving Head of State who signed the ECOWAS declaration, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), will participate in all the ceremonies and deliver a speech at the Eko Hotels.
Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, will deliver the welcome address.
While in Lagos, President Tinubu will, on Saturday, May 31, commission some projects of the administration.
Among them are Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Concrete Road, the flag-off of Section II of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, and the 7th Axial Road.
The President will virtually commission Kano-Kanwar-Danja-Hadejiya Section II Road and Yakasai-Zalli Road and flag off the Kano Northern By-pass, Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai Section I, Dabai-Kafur Malumfashi, and Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe-Gidan Mutum Daya Section III.
President Tinubu will observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House, Dodan Barracks, before returning to Abuja.
The ECOWAS golden jubilee celebrations in Accra and Lagos seem to be a significant event, marking 50 years of regional collaboration. It’s impressive to see President Tinubu, as ECOWAS Chairman, highlighting the bloc’s milestones and commissioning key infrastructure projects. The participation of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving Head of State who signed the ECOWAS declaration, adds a historical touch to the ceremonies. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other projects being commissioned are crucial for Nigeria’s development, but I wonder how these projects will directly impact the average citizen. The event at Eko Hotels and Suites, with Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi reviewing ECOWAS’s journey, seems like a great opportunity to reflect on the bloc’s achievements and challenges. How do you think ECOWAS can better address the current economic and political issues facing West Africa? It’s fascinating to see such a blend of history, politics, and development in one event, but I’m curious about the long-term vision for ECOWAS beyond these celebrations.