By Dipo Olowookere
Acting President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, has welcomed the continued consultations on the issue of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Economic Communities of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU).
While receiving the Togolese President and newly elected Chairman of ECOWAS, Mr Faure Gnassingbe, at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, the Acting President said each country had peculiar challenges.
He expressed hopes that the spirit of ECOWAS, which is the spirit of brotherhood, would be helpful in addressing some of the issues confronting the regional body.
Mr Osinbajo assured Mr Gnassingbe of Nigeria’s support to him and the regional body. “Nigeria will support you in every way and we are very happy with your election,” he said.
He added that, “I know that our President, President Buhari will give every measure of support required because he would want you to succeed very much.”
The Acting President stated that the Buhari administration was pleased that President Gnassingbe visited Nigeria almost immediately after his election to lead the regional body, assuring him that Nigeria will continue to play an active role in ECOWAS.
He assured the Togolese President that President Buhari holds him in high regard as a person and considers him a friend.
Mr Osinbajo congratulated Mr Gnassingbe on his election as the Chairman of ECOWAS and assured him that Nigeria was fully engaged and concerned about regional issues and would continue to explore resolutions in partnership with other member-states.
In his remarks, the new ECOWAS leader said he came to hold consultations with Nigeria because he and the body consider Nigeria a very important player in the region.
According to him, Nigeria remains an important player that “has to be fully engaged” in ECOWAS.
During the visit, President Gnassingbe highlighted a number of ECOWAS issues and challenges, including the European Partnership Agreement, being discussed by the regional body.
He said that as the ECOWAS chairman, he would be involved in frequent exchanges and consultations with Nigeria considering Nigeria’s role in the region.
The Togolese President also said he wanted the relationship between his country and Nigeria to remain very close.
