Bola Tinubu, the newly appointed Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), welcomed the presidents of Benin, Niger, and Guinea-Bissau to the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
During their visit, Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin, Mohamed Bazoum of Niger, and Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau were taken to Tinubu’s office for a private meeting, which has not been disclosed to the public.
The meeting’s agenda is believed to focus on crucial regional matters, particularly security and economic development in the sub-region. Given the recent history of coup attempts in the area, Tinubu is likely to reiterate his commitment to defending democracy within the subregion.
Notably, Guinea-Bissau survived an attempted coup in February 2022, while the civilian governments of Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso faced toppling incidents between 2019 and 2022.
As the newly appointed ECOWAS Chairman, Tinubu’s engagement with neighboring leaders holds the promise of advancing cooperation and addressing pressing challenges in the West African region.
