- Extraordinary session held in Accra to address exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers has held an Extraordinary Session in Accra to deliberate on the implications of the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the regional bloc, focusing particularly on the relocation of ECOWAS institutions and agencies currently sited in those countries.
Chairing the session, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, expressed gratitude to Ghana for hosting the high-level meeting, while also commending the successful launch of the “ECOWAS at 50” celebrations. He described the session as a reaffirmation of the bloc’s commitment to regional unity and purpose.
“This gathering demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the advancement of our regional community and the fulfillment of ECOWAS’s core purpose,” Tuggar said.
The session was convened in response to a directive issued during the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, mandating the Council to draw up modalities and a contingency plan for the withdrawal of the three Sahelian nations.
The ECOWAS Commission is expected to present key memoranda on:
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The formal withdrawal process,
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Suspension of programmes in the exiting countries,
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Implications for free movement of people, goods, and services, and
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The relocation of ECOWAS institutions and agencies based in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
Tuggar acknowledged the moment as one of the most challenging in ECOWAS’s history but urged member states to view it as an opportunity for reflection and institutional renewal.
“It was never our wish to deliberate on the withdrawal of member states. But in recognizing their sovereignty under current military regimes, we must adapt and chart a forward-looking path,” he said.
He reiterated ECOWAS’s position as Africa’s most integrated regional bloc, and emphasized the need to preserve that legacy for future generations. “Our unity has been tested before—and we emerged stronger. We will do so again,” he added.
Tuggar called on his fellow ministers to engage constructively and ensure the smooth implementation of the withdrawal process, while also reaffirming ECOWAS as the premier platform for addressing West Africa’s political, economic, and security challenges.
“Membership, as the saying goes, has its privileges,” he concluded.
