Tinubu, other leaders arrive Lagos for ECOWAS 50th anniversary celebration

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Bola Tinubu and his Liberian counterpart, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, arrived Lagos on Tuesday ahead of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), set to take place on Wednesday at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island.

Other leaders of the sub regional group were being expected to fly into Lagos for the event later on Tuesday.

The Liberia President landed at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport around 3:45pm, where he was received by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Boakai was honoured with a ceremonial welcome by troops of the Nigerian Army’s 9th Brigade before departing for his accommodations.

Shortly after, President Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at approximately 4:10pm. He was welcomed by Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior government officials.

Following military honours, the President was escorted to his private residence in Ikoyi by state officials and a horde of security operatives. He was greeted along the route by cheering Lagosians who had lined the routes to catch a glimpse of his convoy.

This week’s celebration marks a milestone for ECOWAS, which was formally inaugurated in Lagos in 1975. A symbolic reenactment of the original declaration will be held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), also in Victoria Island.

As current Chairman of ECOWAS, President Tinubu will headline the commemoration at Eko Hotels, where he is expected to highlight the regional bloc’s achievements and challenges over the past five decades.

Former Minister of External Affairs and Chairman of the NIIA, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, will deliver a keynote reflection on ECOWAS’s 50-year trajectory, followed by panel discussions. Retired General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving head of state who signed the original ECOWAS treaty, will also attend and deliver an address.

Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, will open the proceedings with a welcome address.

Beyond the celebrations, President Tinubu will remain in Lagos for official engagements, including the commissioning of key infrastructure projects on Saturday, May 31.

These include Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Road, and the flag-off of Section II of the coastal highway.

The President will also commission roads virtually in Kano, Danja, Hadejia, and other areas, and inaugurate additional highway projects in northern Nigeria.

According to a statement from Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu will observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House in Dodan Barracks before returning to Abuja.