The forthcoming departure of President Bola Tinubu from Abuja to Accra, Ghana, for the purpose of attending the Sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU) seems imminent.
During this gathering, discussions will encompass the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and the Member States of the African Union.
President Tinubu, in his role as the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, will deliver a speech focusing on the regional integration status in Africa, shedding light on achievements and challenges within West Africa since the previous meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in July 2023.
The President and Chairman of ECOWAS will also share the ‘2024 Report on the State of the Community’, emphasizing various aspects such as peace, regional security, governance, economic integration, humanitarian and social development, as well as energy, mines, and agriculture.
This event is being organized in accordance with the AU theme for the year 2024: ‘Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century.’
The inception of the Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in 2017 aimed at providing a primary platform for the AU and the RECs to synchronize their efforts and oversee the execution of the continental integration agenda, thereby replacing the summits held in June/July.
In July 2023, President Tinubu, following his election as the Chairman of ECOWAS, delivered his inaugural address at the AU Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, underscoring Africa’s resilience and the imperative of unity.
The upcoming gathering in Accra will address matters such as evaluating the AU’s early warning systems and conflict prevention mechanisms, as well as fostering collaboration among regional economic communities to expedite integration.
A formal declaration is scheduled to be endorsed upon the conclusion of the meeting.
“The President, who will be accompanied by senior government officials, will return to the country at the conclusion of the meeting,” a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity added on Friday.
