President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed Africa’s unity and strength, as he strongly rejected the notion of a new scramble for Africa.
Tinubu stressed that past plundering and exploitation of the continent should remain in the past and never be repeated.
The president said this while speaking at the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (5thMYCM) of the African Union (AU), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and the African Union Member-States, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday, July 16, 2023.
President Tinubu, who announced plans to strengthen the ECOWAS Standby Force to deter coups and combat terrorism in the sub-region, highlighted the progress made by ECOWAS in various sectors of its integration process, including trade, free movement of persons, investment promotion, infrastructure development, and security.
He stressed the need for Africa to overcome its challenges and work towards a prosperous future, focusing on inclusive growth, good governance, and leveraging the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, called for good governance to ensure a prosperous future for Africa, free from the exploitations of the past.
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He said: “As Africans, we forge ahead no matter the barriers thrust before us. “The world we inhabit is often unkind and uncertain. Past history and current global difficulties argue against our future success.
“Lessons of the past few years teach us that the world economy can be disrupted in ways that halt progress and invite downturn. Our nations can suddenly find themselves in dire situations if we choose to be passive observers of our fate.
“Such passivity does not commend itself to me. I will not listen to it. Neither should any African. The challenges we face mean that governance will be difficult.
“They also mean that visionary good governance is necessary. Some observers assert a new scramble for Africa is afoot and it is much like the old scramble that plundered our continent.
“But, here and now, let it be said to whomever the new scramblers might be that our continent may be old but our spirit is new. And it is strong. The bad that took place in the past must stay there. It shall never be repeated.”
On peace, security, and stability, President Tinubu further acknowledged the challenges faced by the sub-region, including terrorism and anti-constitutional changes in government, adding that during the recently concluded ECOWAS Summit in Bissau, West African leaders resolved to maintain engagement with Mali, Burkina Faso, to assiduously work towards the implementation of the 24-month transition calendars agreed with ECOWAS.
To assist Burkina Faso and Mali in defending their territories from occupation by terrorists, he said, ECOWAS had decided to provide support for their security agencies.
On trade, President Tinubu said ECOWAS had achieved the Free Trade Area and was working on establishing the Customs Union and Common Market.
Tinubu, however, expressed concern about the low level of intra-community trade among member-states, noting that the European Union remains the major trading partner for the region, followed by Asia, North America, and the rest of Africa.
Highlighting efforts made by ECOWAS to consolidate the gains of its trade liberalization scheme and support the implementation of the AfCFTA, the Nigerian leader said the ECOWAS Commission had been assisting member-states in the negotiations, ratification, and implementation of the AfCFTA.
He noted that 13 out of the 15 ECOWAS member states have ratified the agreement.
On the free movement of persons, President Tinubu informed the meeting that ECOWAS had commenced action towards the implementation of the Harmonized Visa-Regime (ECOVISA) to facilitate the free movement of non-ECOWAS citizens.
President Tinubu also provided an update on the energy sector, expressing delight that several generation and interconnection projects had been implemented within the region.
According to him, with the completion of the electric interconnection between Cote d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone- Guinee (1,300 km) and between Senegal-The Gambia-Guinee Bissau and Guinea (1,700 km), all the 15 countries in West Africa have now been interconnected.
“The completion of the Information and Coordination Centre of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) will enable member-states to buy and sell electricity in the region as this centre will act as a regional system operator within the framework of the regional electricity market,” the president stressed.
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