West African Leaders Rally Behind WAES 2025 as Nigeria Intensifies Regional Diplomacy
In a wave of high-level diplomatic engagements ahead of the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, Nigeria’s Special Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has delivered special invitations to three key West African leaders, affirming Nigeria’s leadership in driving regional integration.
In Togo, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, accompanied by Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye (Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs) and Ambassador Innocent Iwejuo (Director, Office of the Minister of State), was received at the Presidential Palace in Lomé by President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.
The meeting underscored the strong diplomatic ties between both nations and Togo’s commitment to regional prosperity through trade and cooperation.
President Gnassingbé welcomed the summit initiative and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his visionary leadership.
He emphasized the importance of economic partnerships, peacebuilding, youth empowerment, and sustainable development in the region.
From Lomé, the delegation moved to Ghana, where they met with President John Mahama. Receiving the formal invitation on June 12, 2025, President Mahama praised WAES as a long-overdue initiative.
He described President Tinubu as a “Big Brother” in the subregion and pledged to attend with a high-powered delegation, lauding Nigeria’s continued leadership in ECOWAS.
In Benin Republic, the Envoy was hosted at the private residence of President Patrice Talon on June 14, 2025. President Talon expressed gratitude for the personal outreach and reiterated Benin’s commitment to regional economic cooperation.
The West Africa Economic Summit, slated for June 20–21, 2025, in Abuja, is positioned as a pivotal moment to reinvigorate trade, integration, and collective development in West Africa.
