President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Tuesday for Lagos to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alongside other regional leaders.
The ECOWAS golden jubilee celebrations began last month in Accra, Ghana. In Lagos, the festivities will include a symbolic reenactment of the 1975 founding declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island.
In a statement Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said as ECOWAS Chairman, President Tinubu will address guests at a commemorative event at Eko Hotels and Suites, where he will highlight the bloc’s achievements over five decades. The event will also feature a keynote review by Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of External Affairs and current Chairman of the NIIA. A panel session will follow, examining ECOWAS’s evolution and impact.
Notably, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), the only surviving Head of State who signed the original ECOWAS treaty, will participate in all events and deliver a special address.
Dr. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, is scheduled to give the welcome remarks.
While in Lagos, President Tinubu will also commission several key infrastructure projects on Saturday, May 31. These include Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Road, and the flag-off of Section II of the Coastal Highway, as well as the 7th Axial Road.
He will also virtually commission the Kano-Kwanar-Danja-Hadejia Section II Road, Yakasai-Zalli Road, and flag off the Kano Northern Bypass and several other key road projects across Katsina and Jigawa states.
President Tinubu is expected to observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House Mosque in Dodan Barracks, Lagos, before returning to Abuja.
