ECOWAS meeting holds in Abuja

The 64th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Heads of State and Government is holding in Abuja, Nigeria.

The session, to be chaired by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, is attended by Heads of State and Government in the 15-member block.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that countries like Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are already at the venue at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Other members attending are Benin, Gambia, Togo, Cape Verde and Senegal.

The ECOWAS Commission and other stakeholders like former President Goodluck Jonathan, the U.S. Lead diplomat for Africa, Molly Phee, the African Union (AU), and the UN Secretary-General Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simao, are also attending the meeting.

The end-of-year meeting is expected to review various decisions and agreements made and initiated by the body, including that of the adoption of the ECO as a common currency for the region.

The issue of the coup d’etat in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea would also be deliberated on by the regional body at this meeting.

Other issues are climate change, democracy, bilateral relations as well as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.