President Bola Tinubu has said the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja represents a renewed commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across the sub-region.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration of the new complex on Thursday in Abuja, Tinubu described the building, known as the “Eye of Africa,” as a symbol of resilience, renewal and confidence in the future of the regional bloc.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the President urged ECOWAS member states to move beyond being a regional market and become a regional production hub.
“Today marks not only the inauguration of an impressive landmark but the renewal of a covenant, our covenant with the ideals of regional integration, solidarity and shared prosperity,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that for more than five decades, ECOWAS has remained one of the world’s most respected regional economic communities, recording significant achievements in peacebuilding, democratic governance, economic cooperation and the free movement of people, goods and services.
Despite those gains, he said the region continues to face major threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, economic instability, food insecurity, climate change, public health challenges and the growing expectations of its youthful population.
He stressed that the next phase of regional integration must be driven by tangible economic development rather than rhetoric.
He declared, “The hour has come to transform our regional market into a regional production base.
“Our integration must increasingly be driven by what we produce rather than by what we consume, for a community that consumes what it does not make will forever live at the mercy of the goodwill of others.”
According to the President, the future of ECOWAS should be anchored on industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, expanded intra-regional trade, innovation, manufacturing and investment.
Tinubu also addressed the recent exit of three member states from the bloc, saying the development, alongside evolving security challenges, has demonstrated that regional integration extends beyond economic cooperation.
“Regional integration can no longer be an economic imperative alone. It has become a comprehensive framework for our collective security, our political stability, our sustainable development and the welfare of our peoples,” he said.
He maintained that ECOWAS should continue to keep its doors open to countries that have withdrawn, while advocating renewed dialogue, stronger solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility among member states.
The President commended Sierra Leone’s President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Julius Maada Bio, for providing steady leadership during a challenging period for the region.
He also praised the President and management of the ECOWAS Commission for successfully delivering the project, describing the new headquarters as a reflection of the region’s determination to build enduring institutions.
Tinubu further expressed appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for financing the project, as well as Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company Limited, consultants, Nigerian partners and other stakeholders who contributed to its completion.
“May every decision taken within these walls advance the peace, the unity, the prosperity, and the dignity of the peoples of West Africa,” the President said.
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Earlier, President Julius Maada Bio said the inauguration of the new headquarters provides an opportunity for member states to renew their commitment to the more than 450 million people of West Africa and strengthen the regional organisation.
He said history ultimately judges generations not by the structures they build but by the impact they make on people’s lives.
Bio also thanked President Tinubu for Nigeria’s consistent financial contributions and leadership within ECOWAS, describing the country as “a great anchor” of the regional bloc.
He equally acknowledged the Government of China for its “generous donation” of the ECOWAS headquarters.
Also speaking, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and people for donating the facility, describing it as a lasting symbol of regional partnership, integration and enhanced institutional coordination.
He highlighted China’s longstanding support for ECOWAS across several sectors, including assistance to the regional standby force and technology development, adding that the Asian nation remains one of the bloc’s most strategic development partners.
Touray assured that the commission’s management and staff would ensure the new headquarters serves as a centre for regional transformation and social stability.
In his goodwill message, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Yu Dunhai, congratulated the governments and people of West Africa on the inauguration, describing it as another milestone in China’s support for African integration and evidence of the enduring relationship between China and the continent.
He added that future cooperation between China and ECOWAS, as well as Africa, would continue to be built on mutual trust and practical collaboration that supports the continent’s independent development aspirations.