FULL TEXT: Tinubu’s opening speech at second ECOWAS Summit on Niger coup

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government; 

Your Excellency, the President of the ECOWAS Commission;

Your Excellency, President of the African Union Commission;

Your Excellency, President of the UEMOA Commission;

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in West Africa and the Sahel; and Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

1. Let me commence by welcoming you all to the Second (2nd) Extraordinary Summit on the Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger, within the space of ten days. Your presence here, despite the short notice, demonstrates the unwavering dedication of our esteemed community to finding a lasting solution to the political situation in the Republic of Niger. 

2. Today, we gather with a profound sense of urgency and firm determination, building upon the commitments made during our first Extraordinary Summit, on the grave political crisis befalling our sister nation. During that initial meeting, we voiced our solidarity with the people of Niger and their democratically elected President, H.E Mohamed Bazoum, by condemning the military take over and the unjust detention of their democratically elected President.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

3. As you may recall, we called on the junta to rescind its decision of toppling a legitimate government. We proceeded to impose sanctions with the hope that this resolute measure would serve as a catalyst for the restoration of the constitutional order in Niger. Regrettably, the seven-day ultimatum we issued during the first Summit has not yielded the desired outcome. We have also made diligent efforts through the deployment of various ECOWAS mediation teams, to engage the military junta for a peaceful resolution of the political situation. One of the facilitators, former Head of State of Nigeria, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, would update us on the outcome of his mission to Niamey. 

lasting impact on the lives of our fellow Africans as we strive to build a future defined by peace, progress, and prosperity.

9. In conclusion, I extend my gratitude to each of you for your attention to this critical issue. I trust that our deliberations will be productive and fruitful, leading us to find an amicable solution to the political crisis in Niger. As we continue to work together in solidarity and harmony, we can ensure a prosperous future for the entire West African region.

10. With these remarks, I hereby declare this Extraordinary Summit open.

Thank you all, for your attention