Africa Press-Nigeria:
President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to depart Abuja for Niger Republic on Monday to participate in the 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government according to a presidential statement.
Mr Buhari will travel in the company of some ministers and government officials.
According to his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari will present a special report on COVID-19 pandemic in the one-day summit.
Mr Buhari was appointed the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19 during the Extraordinary Virtual Summit of ECOWAS on April 23, 2020.
Like every other part of the world, Africa has been affected by the pandemic.
Over 1.2 million infections and 30,000 thousand deaths occasioned by COVID-19 have been recorded on the continent.
Apart from the extensive deliberation on the COVID-19 special report, the summit will also receive a Special Report on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme, which will be presented by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), and President Alassane Ouattara, who is Chair of the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA).
Mr Shehu noted that the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean Claude Kassi Brou, will present the 2020 Interim Report on activities of the sub-regional body including ECOWAS Vision 2050 to the leaders.
Amongst other events scheduled to take place, the rise in incidents of terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry and piracy will also come under focus, while the disruption of the democratic process by the military in Mali, will receive further attention, said the presidential spokesperson.
“Similarly, in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Niger where parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for this year, the imperative to strengthen democracy in the sub-region by respecting constitutional provisions, rule of law and outcomes of free and fair polls, will be emphasised.”
