President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to Accra, Ghana on Saturday for the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. The summit is expected to discuss issues currently affecting member states of the regional bloc and would be chaired by Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
The 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS heads of State and Government was preceded by the 46th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level, where ministers responsible for defence and foreign affairs in ECOWAS member states discusses the general security situation in the ECOWAS region.
On Friday, the presidency announced that President Buhari would participate with other Heads of State of Government of ECOWAS for the statutory mid-year meeting of members of the regional body. Mali was suspended from ECOWAS and its activities due to the recent coup d’état in the Francophone country.
Former President Goodluck Johnathan of Nigeria, ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator to Mali is expected to present a report on his most recent official visit to Mali.
President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina is also present at the summit.
President Buhari is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd); Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador, Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
A communiqué would be issued at the end of the summit.
