Vice President Shettima Represents Tinubu at 69th ECOWAS Summit in Sierra Leone
Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The summit, taking place at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown, brings together heads of state, government officials and regional stakeholders to deliberate on key issues affecting West Africa. Discussions are expected to focus on regional peace and security, democratic governance, economic integration, trade, infrastructure development and sustainable growth.
President Tinubu, who currently plays a leading role in regional diplomacy, designated Vice President Shettima to represent Nigeria at the high-level gathering. The meeting forms part of ECOWAS’ statutory mid-year engagements, during which member states assess developments across the sub-region and adopt policy decisions aimed at strengthening cooperation among the bloc’s 15 member countries.
During the summit, West African leaders are expected to review the security situation across the region, including the fight against terrorism, violent extremism, political instability and transnational crime. The leaders will also consider strategies to deepen regional trade, improve infrastructure connectivity and accelerate economic integration under existing ECOWAS frameworks.
The meeting comes at a time when ECOWAS continues to face significant challenges, including insecurity in parts of the region, constitutional governance concerns and efforts to strengthen cooperation among member states. The summit is expected to produce key resolutions aimed at promoting stability, economic development and regional unity.
Shettima is expected to join fellow presidents, vice presidents, ministers and senior government officials in discussions on policy initiatives that will shape the future direction of the regional bloc. Nigeria remains one of ECOWAS’ founding members and continues to play a central role in the organisation’s peacekeeping, economic and diplomatic initiatives.
According to the Presidency, the Vice President is expected to return to Abuja after the conclusion of the summit. The outcomes of the meeting are expected to influence future regional cooperation on security, trade, governance and development across West Africa.
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