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Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, is scheduled to depart Abuja on Tuesday for Lagos, where he will join other dignitaries in marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to a statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the golden jubilee celebrations in Lagos will feature a symbolic re-enactment of the original 1975 declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island.
The anniversary events were formally launched in Accra last month.
As chairman of ECOWAS, President Tinubu will deliver a keynote address during the main event at Eko Hotels and Suites, where he will reflect on the achievements and evolution of the West African regional bloc.
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of External Affairs and current NIIA Chairman, will provide a retrospective analysis of ECOWAS’s five-decade journey. His review will be followed by a panel discussion at the NIIA.
General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), the only surviving Head of State who signed the founding declaration, is also expected to take part in the commemorations and deliver remarks at the Eko Hotels ceremony.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, will open the proceedings with a welcome address.
During his stay in Lagos, President Tinubu will also commission several infrastructure projects on Saturday, 31 May. These include Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Concrete Road, and the groundbreaking for Section II of the Coastal Highway and the 7th Axial Road.
Additionally, Tinubu will conduct virtual inaugurations of the Kano-Kanwar-Danja-Hadejiya Section II Road and the Yakasai-Zalli Road. He will also flag off works on the Kano Northern Bypass, Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai Section I, Dabai-Kafur-Malumfashi, and the Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe-Gidan Mutum Daya Section III.
President Tinubu is expected to observe Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House Mosque in Dodan Barracks, Lagos, before returning to the capital.
