Accra, Ghana – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has finalized arrangements to relocate its institutions and agencies from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger following the formal withdrawal of the three countries from the regional bloc. This landmark decision was reached during an Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers held in Accra, Ghana, where ministers deliberated on contingency measures and the future relationship with the three nations, now united as the Alliance of Sahel States.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Council Chair, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that while ECOWAS did not wish for any member state to exit, it must respect the sovereignty of nations under their current military administrations. “We must now adapt and chart a forward-looking path,” Tuggar said, underlining the necessity of relocating ECOWAS institutions to prevent operational disruptions.
Tuggar urged ministers to view the crisis as an opportunity for institutional renewal and to recommit to the bloc’s vision of political, economic, and security cooperation. He reaffirmed ECOWAS’s status as Africa’s most integrated regional bloc, built on harmonized policies and a shared vision for the future