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The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY,  has emphasised  the need to preserve the unity of ECOWAS at all costs. Addressing the Head of European Union Delegation to ECOWAS and Heads of the EU Mission to West Africa during a meeting at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY stressed that the challenges facing the Community could only be addressed through effective and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Dr. TOURAY also underscored the need to strengthen the ECOWAS – European Union Cooperation, and to continue to work together to address the challenges facing ECOWAS region through  equitable and mutually beneficial  partnership.

He said,  “I am happy that we have this opportunity to exchange information and to hear from  the EU  on  matters relating to our cooperation, as well as matters of concern and common interest. This  particular meeting is for us to exchange views on the situation in the subregion and how best we can collaborate to address some of the challenges The unity of ECOWAS must be preserved at all costs . This because disunity or disintegration threatens us in more than one way.”

“Disunity threatens our security and the security problems facing us as a Community requires our collaboration for us to be able to overcome them. Disunity threatens governance in our countries as well. If we remain divided, we would not be able to address some of the governance challenges we are facing. This is why our leaders are putting a lot of emphasis on our unity. As our partner, we need EU’s support and partnership, and the support must be based on our unity.”

Dr. TOURAY expressed ECOWAS’ gratitude to the European Union for being a historic and strategic partner. He also commended the EU for its continued and multiple support not only at the regional level but also at the level of individual Member States.

“The various initiatives and programs such as the 10th and 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and the Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instruments (NDICI) have enabled the EU to provide significant support to ECOWAS and ECOWAS Member States in their search for development. ECOWAS appreciates the envelop of 11.6billion Euros for West Africa, and the six priority areas of cooperation.” He added.

In his remarks, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier MIGNOT, stressed the importance of ECOWAS as strategic partner and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with ECOWAS to deepen the regional integration process in West Africa.

Ambassador Gautier MIGNOT said, “We are glad to have this meeting with ECOWAS. The EU sees itself as the leading example of the benefits of regional integration. The EU is committed to support ECOWAS working together to promote democracy, good governance, human rights, the rule of law, peace, security and regional integration in West Africa. We are committed to our cooperation with ECOWAS and its Member States in the spirit of equal partnership. ECOWAS has a crucial role in providing sustainable solutions to the political, security, economic, humanitarian and environmental challenges the region is facing.”

The European Union’s partnership with ECOWAS has remained very strong over the years and this was reflected in the signatory in October 2023 of a package of financing agreements worth over 210 million Euros contributing to ECOWAS programs and activities which aligns with the objectives of the EU Global Gateway Investment Strategy. Already, eleven simplified financial agreements to support ECOWAS have been concluded. The agreements cover areas such as trade, migration, energy, agriculture, peace, security and governance, digital economy and capacity building. The total amount for the support is 370 million Euros and specific projects under this support include the Africa Trade Competitiveness  and Market Access; Trade in Services in Sub Saharan Africa and Support Program for Specialized ECOWAS Organizations, among others.