President Bola Tinubu on Sunday participated in the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, but delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to head Nigeria’s official delegation.
This marks the first time Shettima is leading Nigeria’s delegation to an ECOWAS summit held on home soil while the President remains in the country. No official explanation was given for the decision.
Tinubu, who served as ECOWAS chairman from July 2023 to July 2025 before handing over to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Bio, opted to assign the role to the Vice President.
The meeting, which commenced at about 3:00 p.m. local time, is expected to feature a “special debate on the future of the Community,” according to the draft agenda sighted by our correspondent.
In attendance are several West African leaders, including President Julius Bio (Sierra Leone and ECOWAS Chair), Patrice Talon (Benin), José Maria Neves (Cabo Verde), Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire), Adama Barrow (The Gambia), John Mahama (Ghana), Umaro Embaló (Guinea-Bissau), Joseph Boakai (Liberia), Bassirou Faye (Senegal), and Faure Gnassingbé (Togo). Mahama returned as Ghana’s president in January 2025 after succeeding Nana Akufo-Addo.
The opening ceremony featured welcome remarks by the host country, a statement by ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Touray, and an address by President Bio. The programme also includes remarks from the UNOWAS Chief, Leonardo Santos Simão, and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, before deliberations move behind closed doors.
Key items on the agenda include the 2025 State of the Community report, briefings from the Mediation and Security Council, progress on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, and special country reports on Guinea-Bissau and Benin. Leaders are also expected to deliberate on the confirmation of a host country for the West African Health Organisation headquarters and the political transition in Guinea.
The summit comes against the backdrop of prolonged instability in the sub-region, marked by coups in Mali (2020 and 2021), Burkina Faso (twice in 2022), and Niger (2023). Recent concerns include an attempted coup in Benin on December 7, 2025, and renewed tensions in Guinea-Bissau, which former President Goodluck Jonathan described as a “ceremonial coup.”
Following the Benin incident, Tinubu, acting on requests from Cotonou, ordered the deployment of jets and troops to help suppress the uprising. On December 9, the Senate approved the President’s request to deploy Nigerian forces to the Republic of Benin to restore stability.
Benin’s foreign ministry later confirmed that about 200 West African troops, mainly from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, are supporting the country’s security efforts. Officials noted that Benin’s stability is closely tied to Nigeria’s economy, given the strategic importance of Cotonou’s port, the busy Sèmè border crossing on the Lagos–Abidjan corridor, and the Niger–Benin crude oil export pipeline.
Beyond security, leaders are expected to deliberate on sanctions, deeper regional cooperation, and economic integration measures, including trade facilitation under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme. The summit will also review Dr. Touray’s report and fix a date for the 69th Ordinary Session.
