A powerful group of African leaders under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the new ECOWAS Headquarters building on Sunday in Lugbe, Abuja.
The event took place in the Nigerian capital city at the start of the Authority of Heads of State and Government’s 62nd Ordinary Session.
The new headquarters project consists of a number of office buildings, including a central wing with a ground floor plus nine floors, which is surrounded by east and west wings with ground floors plus seven floors.
The conference center has a ground floor plus one floor, and there are also buildings for maintenance, sports, care, and a bank.
It will take 26 months to complete the project, which is being funded by the Chinese government through ChinaAid.
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, Liberia’s George Opong Wey, and Senegal’s Macky Sall are among the regional leaders present in Nigeria for the 62nd Ordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads and Heads of State and Government.
Other ECOWAS presidents, including Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Patrice Talon of the Benin Republic, Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and Alassane Ouattara of the Cote d’Ivoire, were also present.
The ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, gave the opening remarks at the commissioning.
He noted that the organization’s current operations are split among three different buildings in Abuja, Nigeria, and that this necessitates the construction of a new secretariat to consolidate all of its personnel and boost productivity and efficiency.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Republic of Nigerian government for providing the seven hectares of land in the Institutions and Research Area along the road leading to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport for the construction project.
Touray added that the Chinese government provided technical and financial support for the construction of the headquarters, whose groundbreaking ceremony is taking place, and that the ECOWAS Commission signed an implementation agreement with them in July 2019.
He also thanked the Heads of State and Government throughout the region for their cooperation and support of the project and pledged to ensure that it is completed within the suggested time frame.
Cui Jianchun, the Chinese ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS, stated that China is eager to strengthen its diplomatic ties with Africa by providing financial support for building initiatives like the new ECOWAS Commission headquarters.
After the signing of the implementation agreement for the construction of the new ECOWAS Commission Headquarters, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is hosting the 62nd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, said in a brief statement that it is a great day for the partnership between ECOWAS and China.
He added that the new complex represents the unity and brotherhood of ECOWAS Member States and signifies a recommitment to regional integration and the development of the countries in the sub-region.
He said that the building’s construction represents China’s commitment to the West African subregional bloc and an evidence of a strong and mutual cooperation between Africa and China.