Tuggar Urged States to Implement Landmark Decisions, As he Ends Tenure as ECOWAS Council Chair
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar bowed out as chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers closing the bloc’s 94 th Ordinary Session with an appeal to member states to faithfully implement a slate of integration and security measures agreed over two days of talks in Abuja.
“This may be my last council session as chair,” Tuggar told fellow ministers, noting that the upcoming ECOWAS summit will elect a new leader of the 15‑nation body. “I am grateful for your unalloyed support over the past two years and trust you will extend the same cooperation to my successor.”
The outgoing chair said the council’s conclusions, covering trade facilitation, youth employment, and counter‑terrorism financing, must be translated into national policy once endorsed by ECOWAS heads of state. “Through continued collaboration, we have set a clear course toward a more unified and prosperous region,” he added.
Tuggar praised the ECOWAS Commission for “comprehensive working documents” that guided debates and lauded Nigeria’s local organising committee for seamless logistics. He also commended interpreters for maintaining “a high standard of communication.”
Trade scholars often describe Africa’s Regional Economic Communities as “unsung heroes” of continental integration, Tuggar observed, asserting that ECOWAS remains “first among equals” in advancing cross‑border commerce and shared development projects.
The 94th council session marked the final ministerial meeting before ECOWAS heads of state convene later this year to review recommendations and chart a fresh mandate for 2025‑27.
