Foreign: Faye Leads ECOWAS As Shettima Represents Tinubu

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima on Sunday departed the country to attend the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS holding in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Shettima is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the meeting, currently being attended by other Heads of State in ECOWAS, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.

The meeting is  taking place at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre, Freetown, today, July 19, 2026, the Nkwocha said, adding that the summit will focus majorly in promoting peace, democracy, regional integration and economic growth.

“Other leaders at the summit include Presidents Romuald Wadagni of Benin, José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, Joseph Boakai of Liberia and Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, as well as Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo,” Nkwocha, said in a post on X on Sunday.

The regional body had earlier elected Senegal’s President, Bassirou Faye, as the new Chairman , succeeding Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio.

Meanwhile,  Shettima has called on ECOWAS to intervene in the ongoing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

Speaking at the meeting yesterday, Shettima described the attacks as “Afrophobic” and urged ECOWAS to take a united stand against the violence, saying a strong message should be sent to the South African government that attacks on other Africans “is unacceptable.

“On Afrophobia, Nigeria condemns in strong terms the recent Afrophobic attack on its citizens and other fellow Africans in the Republic of South Africa, “As already mentioned by His Excellency, the President of Ghana, ECOWAS should present this matter before the next meeting of the Authority of the African Union to send a clear message that this type of behaviour is unacceptable,” Shettima said.

Adding that, “South Africa should be reminded that the freedom the country currently enjoys is due to the liberation efforts of African countries such as Nigeria.”