Nigeria's Foreign Minister Urges Shift in Media Focus Toward West

By Gloria Ikibah

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Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called on West African media to steer public discourse away from the political fallout surrounding the recent departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS, and instead spotlight ongoing regional development efforts.

The Minister made the remarks on Friday during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the ECOWAS Parliament, led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, to his office in Abuja. The visit forms part of continued collaboration ahead of the ECOWAS Parliament’s 25th anniversary scheduled for November.

Speaking during the engagement, Tuggar emphasised the importance of reinforcing public awareness around regional initiatives that remain on track, noting that the 12-member ECOWAS bloc continues to push forward with transformative projects designed to improve lives across the region.

He cited examples such as the West African Power Pool, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, and major transport corridors including Abidjan–Lagos and Abidjan–Dakar as key programmes that deserve greater attention from the media and civil society.

He said: “These are the initiatives that will shape the economic and social future of West Africa. Our focus must be on cooperation, integration, and the collective good—not solely on points of friction.”

While acknowledging the complexities behind the exit of the three Sahel nationsfollowing tensions linked to recent coups, Tuggar maintained a hopeful tone, expressing confidence that the countries could find their way back into the fold through diplomacy and renewed engagement.

He praised the ECOWAS Parliament for its role as a representative body of the West African people, and said it remains instrumental in safeguarding democratic norms and fostering a shared regional vision.

The meeting underscored a broader commitment by Nigeria to strengthen democratic governance and economic cooperation within the subregion, even as political dynamics continue to evolve.

He said “We will continue to work hard towards the success of ECOWAS and the success of the member- states will encourage the countries to come back. As we keep saying we have not closed the door on their return, we are confident that they will return because they are part and parcel of the region. It is just a matter of time.”

Tuggar said further stated that although the three countries have exited the regional bloc, Nigeria and other countries within the region will continue to relate with them as neighbours and work together in certain areas for mutual benefits.

Speaker Ibrahima, who was accompanied on the visit by the Fourth Deputy Speaker, Billay Tunkara; Secretary General, Bertin Some among others, said the delegation was there to update the minister on the past activities of the parliament in the last one and half years while planning its future activities.

Both sides also discussed ECOWAS at 50, which was celebrated on May 28 in Lagos, while the parliament established in the year 2000, is getting set to celebrate its 25 years as regional legislature.

“We discussed how we can have some capability and enhancement so that we can have more legislative role in the ECOWAS community. We also discussed how we can support ECOWAS in all their programmes and activities”, Speaker Ibrahima said.