President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to depart for Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday, July 15, to participate in the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (MYCM) of the African Union (AU).
The announcement was made in a statement released by Presidential spokesman Dele Alake on Friday.
As the Chairperson of ECOWAS, Tinubu will join Heads of State and Government, Foreign Ministers of AU Member-States, and esteemed dignitaries at the mid-year meeting scheduled for Sunday, July 16.
During the gathering, President Tinubu, in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairperson, will present a comprehensive report on the progress of regional integration within ECOWAS.
The report will highlight the initiatives undertaken by ECOWAS institutions, member-states, the private sector, and other stakeholders to advance integration through trade, free movement of people, investment promotion, infrastructure development, as well as peace, security, and stability.
Under the theme “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation,” the 5th MYCM will assemble the Bureau of the AU Assembly, which includes Heads of State and Government from Comoros, Botswana, Burundi, Senegal, and leaders of the eight regional economic communities (RECs).
The regional economic communities encompass ECOWAS, chaired by Nigeria, as well as the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD), the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
The meeting will also involve the African Union Commission and the respective Regional Mechanisms (RMs).
Accompanied by senior government officials, President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after the conclusion of the meeting.
