ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria is ready to host the African Central Bank in alignment with the Abuja Treaty’s vision.
He stated this during his address at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday.
Tinubu emphasized his administration’s commitment to collaborate with the African Union Commission and member states to ensure the bank’s establishment by 2028.
Tinubu was quoted in a statement by the presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale as saying, “As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people.”
Highlighting hurdles such as climate change and unequal global trade patterns, Tinubu underscored the continent’s proactive stance in addressing these challenges.
He also addressed internal issues, citing coup-driven autocracies and constitutional tenure manipulations as self-inflicted impediments to development.
“Many of these obstacles, such as climate change and unfair patterns of global trade, are largely not of our making. However, some of the pitfalls, including coup-birthed autocracies and the deleterious tinkering with constitutional tenure provisions, are developmental cancers we as Africans are giving to ourselves.”
In response to recent military takeovers in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as well as their subsequent withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Tinubu advocated for maintaining regional unity despite differences over unconstitutional regime changes.
“The pursuit of a peaceful, united West Africa transcends individual interests. Our shared history, culture, commerce, geography, and fraternity hold profound significance,” Tinubu emphasized. “Amidst discord, we must seize the opportunity to usher in a new era of trust and harmony.”
Tinubu extended an olive branch, affirming Nigeria and ECOWAS’ readiness to engage in genuine dialogue and foster collaboration for the collective prosperity and stability of the region.
“The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people. Thus, out of the dust and fog of misunderstanding and acrimony, we must seize the chance to create a new people-centric era of trust and accord.
“To all who care to listen, I declare that if you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are,” he added.