President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after his first participation in the Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The 71-year-old made a triumphant return to Abuja on Monday, July 10, 2023, a day after he emerged chairman of ECOWAS at the organisation's 63rd session which held in Guinea-Bissau.
Tinubu said in his acceptance speech that establishing lasting peace in the West African region is one of his most pressing concerns.
"Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive.
"In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity," he said.
He also noted that the sub-regional body must stand firm against the trend of coups which threaten general political stability.
"There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government," the former Lagos governor said.
The agenda of the meeting included the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the report on the status of democratic transitions in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.
Before the Sunday coronation, Tinubu visited Nigerian troops stationed in Guinea-Bissau as part of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force.
He also held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit, supported by a group of top officials including his new National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and three state governors.
The ECOWAS trip is Tinubu's second foreign trip since he took over as president on May 29.