ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government commenced on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
The meeting includes a Special Debate on the Future of the Community, as well as talks on key regional priorities such as political stability, security collaboration, and economic integration.
Leaders from across the region arrived in Nigeria ahead of the session, which is being chaired by the President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, Julius Maada Bio.
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A statement posted on Bio’s X handle confirmed that he arrived in Abuja on Saturday.
“I arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, to preside over an Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“As Chair of the Authority, I look forward to constructive deliberations with my colleagues on the urgent challenges confronting our region.
“At this important gathering, the regional leaders are expected to discuss various critical issues impacting West Africa, with particular focus on recent incidents involving Guinea-Bissau and Benin,” the statement read.
Among the major items on the agenda are discussions on the future of the ECOWAS Community, the presentation of the 2025 Annual Report on the State of the Community, briefings on regional security and mediation initiatives, updates on Guinea’s political transition, and a review of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.
The summit is expected to end with the adoption of a final communiqué and a joint press conference.
Earlier in the week, the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, meeting in Abuja, unanimously approved Ghana’s President, John Mahama, as the region’s sole candidate for the position of African Union Chairperson when the rotational turn shifts to West Africa in 2027.