*Declares Door Not Shut Against Them
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, on Monday explained that the ECOWAS has not lost hope on the return of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali back to the regional body.
The three countries officially withdrew from ECOWAS on January 29, 2025, with their decisions based on concerns about perceived foreign influence, particularly from France, and their desire to establish their own security arrangements through the Alliance of Sahel States.
According to Amb Tuggar, the door is still open to them when they reconsider their decision to exit ECOWAS.
He spoke in Abuja on Monday during press briefing on the ECOWAS @ 50 Commemorative Anniversary billed for Lagos State.
The event coming up in the City of Excellence from the 28th of May, 2025, he said, will be attended by Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) and will showcase the achievements of the ECOWAS so far.
He said that the decision to relocate agencies out of the three countries is in line with the law and does not mean they cannot come back to the ECOWAS fold in the future.
The Minister said "The fact that certain ECOWAS agencies and institutions are leaving and relocating to ECOWAS member states, that is what the countries signed up to. It's part of the agreement. If you're a member, then you have the right to host these agencies.
"Unfortunately, they have to relocate to other places. So West Africa Health Organization, for instance, has to leave Burkina Faso. That's unfortunately the rule. Those are the regulations that all the countries signed up to.
"It does not mean that we are not hopeful that those countries will come back to the ECOWAS fold. Under different circumstances, we hope that they will return. ECOWAS has done its best to give them the opportunity to reconsider or to remain in the community.
"Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, under the present governments that are in control in those countries, they've decided against it. So, it's about the community. It's about the people. And there's nothing that stops those countries from returning and then some agencies, or maybe even new agencies that would come up, as we continue to develop for them to host such agencies. So it's not something that has been ruled out." he stated
On the proliferation of arms and ammunition increasing insecurity situation in the sub-region, the Minister said that the factors responsible for them cannot be blamed on ECOWAS.
Noting that they found their ways to the ECOWAS countries following the collapse of Libya.
He assured that notwithstanding the genesis, the ECOWAS is not folding its arms in order to stop the proliferation.
The Minister disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to the steps ECOWAS is putting in place including ECOWAS standby force and other collaborative measures.
At 50 years old, Amb Tuggar maintained that ECOWAS has made so much progress.
Even in comparison with other regional economic communities, he said ECOWAS is faring better.
He said "So it's work in progress. It's not perfect, but if you compare us to other regional economic communities, you will see that there's a lot of progress that has been made."
Some of the achievements, he said, included trade liberation scheme, intra-state trade, common external tariffs, levy on goods coming into the region and standardization of regulation of actions of governments and people in different sectors.
The Minister said there are other major projects that are still in the pipeline.
Amb Tuggar explained that the move to have a single currency in ECOWAS countries is still work in progress.
According to him, no ECOWAS country has been able to meet the criteria set towards achieving single currency.
The project to channel gas pipeline to Morocco and potentially deliver to Europe, he said, is still in progress.