Niger, B/Faso, Mali’s exit from ECOWAS created regional crisis – Presidency – Daily Trust

The Presidency, on Thursday, explained that the withdrawal of some West African countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2023 blunted key regional integration protocols.

It explained that the development created a major regional crisis and undermined existing mechanisms for economic integration and regional cooperation.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated this in Abuja when he spoke at a Policy Colloquium titled: “Securing the sovereign frontiers”.

Dare said while speaking on border management and regional cooperation, that the effectiveness of borders had implications not only for economic activities but also for regional security.

“The rupture that came in 2025 when the countries pulled out of ECOWAS created a major regional crisis. That pullout from ECOWAS simply blunted the ECOWAS protocol that promoted integration, free movement of goods and services.

“It eventually led to the creation of AES, another counter-regional body to ECOWAS. But it also challenged the other instruments and protocols that we have for regional cooperation,” he said.

The Presidential spokesman also warned the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against using the opening of borders for politics, while dismissing claims that Nigeria’s borders were closed.

“The Interior Minister has stated the facts. Nigeria’s borders are open. And let me say for a fact, when it comes to the stability of our borders, when it comes to security, it should not be an arena of politicking or an arena to seek votes or to score cheap political points,” he said.

The presidential aide stressed that open borders did not mean uncontrolled borders, noting that immigration, customs and other security agencies remained responsible for regulating movements across the country’s borders.

“Our borders are critical. There are no open borders without controls. So you must understand there is a distinction”, the Presidential spokesman added.

Dare also linked effective border management to both economic integration and regional security, stressing that borders served as the frontline for protecting regional stability.

He added that proper border management could facilitate economic integration, while poor management could contribute to instability.

Speaking, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is prioritising national security to safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty, preserve democratic institutions and promote national development.

The Minister said the President had consistently reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to strengthen national security and provide the Armed Forces with the capabilities required to protect the country.

“This strategic direction recognises that a secure and stable Nigeria is essential to the protection of our sovereignty, the preservation of our democratic institutions and the advancement of national development.

“In line with this priority, the Ministry of Defence remains focused on strengthening defence capabilities, advancing military modernisation and ensuring that the Armed Forces are adequately positioned to respond to the demands of the security environment,” he said.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the Minister on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said the Policy Colloquium was conceived to serve as a rigorous, non-partisan bridge—bringing together defence strategists, policy architects, technologists, civil society leaders, academics, the media and key state actors under one roof.

“We are not assembled here today merely to catalogue challenges, but to forge actionable pathways, inform public policy, and construct a practical blueprint for national resilience,” she said.