President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening regional integration, peace, industrialisation and shared prosperity across West Africa as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) officially commissioned its new headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday, President Tinubu described the newly completed ECOWAS complex—popularly referred to as the “Eye of Africa”—as more than an architectural landmark, saying it represents a renewed commitment to the ideals upon which the regional bloc was founded over five decades ago.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President noted that ECOWAS has evolved into one of the world’s most respected regional economic communities, recording notable achievements in peace-building, democratic governance, economic cooperation and the free movement of people, goods and services. However, he warned that the sub-region continues to grapple with serious threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, economic vulnerability, food insecurity, climate change, public health challenges and the growing expectations of its youthful population.
Against that backdrop, Tinubu called for a fundamental shift in the region’s economic strategy, urging member states to move beyond consumption-driven integration to productive economic collaboration.
“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,” he declared.
According to the President, deeper industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, expanded intra-regional trade, manufacturing, innovation and increased investment must become the defining pillars of ECOWAS’ next phase of development.
Tinubu also addressed the recent withdrawal of three member states from the regional bloc, saying the development, alongside evolving security challenges across West Africa, has reinforced the need to broaden the purpose of regional integration beyond economics.
“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.
While acknowledging the current challenges facing the organisation, the President stressed that ECOWAS should continue to keep its doors open for dialogue with countries that have chosen to leave the bloc, emphasizing the need for renewed solidarity and collective responsibility.
Tinubu commended Sierra Leone’s President and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Julius Maada Bio, for providing what he described as steady leadership during a period requiring courage and conviction. He also praised the ECOWAS Commission for successfully delivering the headquarters project, saying the new facility reflects the region’s determination to build enduring institutions.
The Nigerian leader further expressed appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for financing the headquarters, as well as Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company Limited, consultants, Nigerian counterparts and other stakeholders who contributed to the project’s completion.
“May every decision taken within these walls advance the peace, the unity, the prosperity, and the dignity of the peoples of West Africa,” he said.
In his remarks, President Julius Maada Bio said the commissioning of the new headquarters presents an opportunity for member states to renew their commitment to the more than 450 million people of West Africa while strengthening the effectiveness of the regional body.
According to Bio, “history does not remember generations for the buildings they construct, but for the lives they transform.”
He commended President Tinubu and Nigeria for their longstanding financial contributions and leadership within ECOWAS, describing the country as “a great anchor” of the regional organisation. He also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for what he called its “generous donation” of the new headquarters building.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, similarly thanked the Chinese government and people for donating what he described as a monument that will stand as a symbol of regional partnership, integration and institutional coordination.
Touray recalled China’s longstanding support for ECOWAS across various sectors, including assistance to the regional standby force and technology development, noting that Beijing remains one of the bloc’s most strategic partners for economic, political and social transformation.
He assured member states that the commission’s management and staff remain fully aware of their responsibility to ensure the new headquarters becomes a centre for regional transformation, stronger cooperation and lasting stability.
Also speaking at the ceremony, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Yu Dunhai, congratulated West African leaders on the inauguration of the new complex, describing it as another milestone in China’s support for African integration and evidence of the enduring relationship between China and the continent.
According to the envoy, the future of China-ECOWAS relations will continue to be built on mutual trust and practical cooperation that enables African countries to independently pursue their development priorities and aspirations.
