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AU, UN, Global Diplomats Praise ECOWAS At Lagos Roundtable
PRESS RELEASE
In commemoration of its 50th anniversary, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission), in collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, convened a landmark ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE ON “ECOWAS, AN AFRICAN MODEL @ 50: RESILIENCE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS” on May 28, 2025, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.
The historic gathering brought together eminent statesmen, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, scholars, and civil society leaders to reflect on ECOWAS’s five-decade journey and chart the path forward.In a poignant and symbolic moment, General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State and the only surviving founding father of ECOWAS, graced the occasion.
Panellists engaged in a robust dialogue on key themes such as regional security, economic integration, democratic consolidation, youth empowerment, and the future of multilateralism in West Africa. Speakers emphasized the need for renewed political will, inclusive governance, and a reimagined vision of integration that reflects the aspirations of West African citizens. The event also served as an opportunity to pay tribute to ECOWAS’s legacy of mediation and peacebuilding, from Liberia and Sierra Leone to Mali and The Gambia, and to acknowledge the vital role of Nigeria as a founding and leading member state.
Speaking at the commemorative roundtable, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized the urgent need for unity in addressing insecurity and instability in the region.
“No single nation can combat insecurity alone. We can only do this through collaboration There is need for us to work together. Our response must be according to the threats we are facing. if ECOWAS was not with us, it would have been invented because there is need for ECOWAS. ECOWAS cannot be substituted because despite all our challenges, ECOWAS is still a model of Regional Economic Community on the African continent.”
Dr. Touray also revealed plans for a Special Summit on the Future of ECOWAS, aimed at reflecting on the organization’s achievements over the past 50 years and charting a clear, visionary path forward.
H.E. Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, reflected on ECOWAS’s remarkable journey. “This forum has granted us the opportunity to critically assess ECOWAS’s role in peacekeeping, economic integration, and democratic governance, while confronting emerging challenges such as political instability and economic disparities. ECOWAS has made significant contributions to peacekeeping, economic integration , harmonization of sectoral policies and promotion of democratic governance to strengthen regional solidarity”
Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Ambassador Selma Malika HADDADI, praised ECOWAS as the continent’s benchmark for regional integration.
She said, “When it comes assessing the achievements of ECOWAS at 50, I can comfortably say that what the African Union has envisioned by the founding fathers to achieve is precisely what ECOWAS has been able to achieve in terms of the level of integration, the free movement of people, the customs union and monetary union – all these elements are precisely what we are looking for as a continental organisation. ECOWAS is very frequently used as our reference when we have discussions at the African Union regarding Regional Economic Communities and how to finance the Union through Community levy which ECOWAS has already implemented.”
Mr. Leonardo Santos SIMÃO, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNOWAS lauded ECOWAS’s patient diplomacy and mediation efforts to restore unity in the region, describing such progress as a hallmark of a mature and resilient organization.
“I want to use this opportunity to praise and salute the steps taken so far by ECOWAS by engaging in peaceful and constant dialogue and mediation with the three countries that have left ECOWAS with the aim of reuniting them with the Community. This is an achievement that only a mature organisation such as ECOWAS can go through.”
H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude Kassi BROU, former President of the ECOWAS Commission, celebrated ECOWAS’s infrastructural and economic milestones, including the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and transformative corridor projects like Lagos-Abidjan and Dakar-Lagos. He added that ECOWAS’s peace interventions in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia underscore its pivotal role in regional stability.
In his remarks, Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Board Chair of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs highlighted ECOWAS’s consistent stance against unconstitutional changes in government, its promotion of democracy, and its economic reforms through trade liberalization and the Common External Tariff. Echoing the call for accelerated progress, Aminata TOURÉ, former Prime Minister of Senegal, emphasized the need to urgently address youth unemployment, poverty, and the marginalization of women to ensure inclusive regional development.
As ECOWAS turns 50, the resounding consensus from regional and international leaders is clear: ECOWAS remains a cornerstone of African unity, economic transformation, and peace. Its journey, while not without challenges, continues to inspire the continent and the world.
Ecowas.int
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BREAKING: KWAM 1 Writes Ogun Govt, Accuses Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Plot to Exclude Him From Awujale Selection
Popular Fuji musician and Olori Omooba of Ijebu land, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, widely known as KWAM1, has written to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, alleging that he is being deliberately sidelined from the ongoing process to select the next Awujale of Ijebu land.
Ayinde, in a petition dated January 8, 2026, accused the Fusengbuwa ruling house next in line to produce the monarch of taking actions that allegedly violate the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State. He claimed the moves were designed to disenfranchise him from contesting for the revered throne.
The letter, written on his behalf by his lawyer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, was addressed to Governor Abiodun and outlined what the Fuji star described as procedural irregularities in the selection process.
According to the petition, the contest for the Awujale stool has attracted over 60 aspirants, with Ayinde formally declaring his interest. However, the Fusengbuwa family has maintained that KWAM1 is not a member of the ruling house and is therefore ineligible to participate in the exercise.
Before writing to the governor, Ayinde had approached the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu Ode, seeking an interim injunction to restrain Governor Abiodun and six others from continuing with the selection process. The court, however, dismissed the application, ruling that it lacked merit. The musician later withdrew the suit without publicly stating his reasons.
In his latest letter, Ayinde disclosed that the Ijebu Ode Local Government, via a letter dated January 6, 2026, signed by its Secretary, Oke Adebanjo, had approved the commencement of the selection process by the ruling house.
He expressed surprise that while members of the Fusengbuwa family were preparing for a general meeting, the family’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, allegedly issued a notice directing aspirants to collect nomination forms and appear before a screening committee.
The screening committee, according to Ayinde, is chaired by Prince Alhaji Mitiu Adenuga. He further alleged that the directive fixed the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026, while also stating that the process would be conducted by delegates to be selected at a meeting scheduled for January 10, 2026.
Ayinde argued that the sequence of events was confusing, contradictory, and contrary to established laws guiding traditional chieftaincy matters in Ogun State.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ogun State Government nor the Fusengbuwa ruling house had officially responded to the allegations.
Lagos Reporters will continue to monitor developments surrounding the Awujale succession process and provide updates as the story unfolds.
News
“Do Not Test Trump’s Resolve”: US Issues Fresh Threat To Nigeria
A United States Congressman, Rep. Riley M. Moore, has warned Nigeria not to take the resolve of President Donald Trump with levity, adding that the US president remained steadfast in his bid to protect Christians in Nigeria, while reiterating the false allegation that Christians have continued to face prosecution in the West African country.
Moore’s warning came days after the US president issued another military action in Nigeria, adding that he would not be carrying out a single operation in Nigeria if the alleged Christian persecution continues in the country.
The threat came days after the United States launched a military strike in Sokoto, targeting some terrorist hideouts in the country. The strike affected other states such as Niger and Kwara.
However, Trump, in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, January 8, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day, said: “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” Trump said.
Moore took to social media to reiterate Trump’s second threat to the country and warned Nigeria against overlooking the threat. His warning did not sit well with many Nigerians, who took to the comment section of the post and expressed their views about his claim. Below are some of their comments:
Omolayo accused the US of bombing a Christian country, Venezuela, and stealing its oil: “What about Venezuela, which is 80% Christian? Trump doesn’t care about Christians, but I grudgingly welcome his presence in the northern part of Nigeria.”
Umar Yusuf Dayyabu knocked the US: “The same US that just finished bombing a Christian country (Venezuela) and is currently stealing their oil is now claiming to want to save Christians in Nigeria. The US only wants our natural resources, that’s it.”
Amadu Yahuza accused the Trump administration of imperialism: “Let’s be clear: if the U.S. is claiming to defend Christians in Nigeria but simultaneously tightens visa access for Nigerians broadly, including Christians, that is not solidarity, it’s hypocrisy. Trump’s statements about Nigerian Christians are political branding, while visa restrictions, federal actions, and international messaging are geopolitical moves.”
Garvy accused the lawmaker of turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians in the US: “I guess you were blind to Christians murdered right in front of your nose in Salt Lake City, and you were blind to that. Suppose their lives don’t matter, right?”
You can read more reactions on X here:
President Trump is serious about his steadfast support to protecting our brothers and sisters in Christ who continue to face persecution in Nigeria.
Do not test @POTUS' resolve. https://t.co/vd8t0LXdKc
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) January 9, 2026
News
Buhari’s Ex-Minister Pantami Breaks Silence Over Alleged Wedding Plan With Aisha Buhari
False claims linking former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, with former First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, have been dismissed after an independent verification found the story to be entirely fabricated.
The rumour, which spread rapidly across Facebook and X, alleged that the two were planning a marriage and circulated alongside an image described online as a pre wedding photograph.
The post gained wide traction after several users pointed to Aisha Buhari’s completion of her Islamic mourning period following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2025.
Public figures also reshared the image, drawing thousands of comments and reactions and fuelling speculation among social media users.
A fact check carried out by PRNigeria found no credible evidence supporting the claim. Reviews of the verified social media accounts of both Pantami and Aisha Buhari showed no statements or references linked to any marriage plan. Searches across reputable news platforms also returned no matching reports.
Further forensic analysis subjected the viral photograph to InVid verification and artificial intelligence detection tools. The assessment confirmed that the image was digitally manipulated and generated through artificial means, with faces inserted into a wedding-themed template.
Pantami addressed the allegation directly in a phone conversation with PRNigeria.
“It is shocking that anyone would fabricate such a rumour. President Buhari is a father figure to us, and we regard his widow as a mother. The claim is baseless and impossible,” he said.
Bashir Ahmad, a former media aide to the late president, also rejected the story on his Facebook page in Hausa.
“The story being circulated that Hajiya Aisha Buhari has agreed to marry Sheikh Isa Ali Pantami is an outright lie. There is absolutely no truth in it whatsoever,” Ahmad wrote.
Additional context emerged from a recently released biography titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and launched at the State House in December 2025. The book records Aisha Buhari as stating clearly that she has no intention of remarrying, citing family responsibilities and a desire for a quieter public life.
The former president died in London on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82. He married Aisha Buhari in 1989 and is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. Speculation around her personal life increased online after she completed the traditional mourning period in November 2025.
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