German President Commends Tinubu’s Leadership in Addressing Niger and Mali’s ECOWAS Exit

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praises Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership in managing the challenges posed by Niger and Mali’s exit from ECOWAS, highlighting his role in regional stability.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has conveyed his approval of how President Bola Tinubu managed the exit of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

During his three-day state visit to Nigeria, Steinmeier met with Tinubu at Aso Rock on Wednesday. He commended Tinubu’s leadership of ECOWAS and stressed the significance of reintegrating the three countries for economic and security stability in the West African region.

In July, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso declared their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS after the regional organization imposed sanctions in response to military coups that had overthrown their democratically elected governments.

He expressed his happiness, saying, “Mr. President, I’m very pleased that you’ve taken on the chairmanship of ECOWAS and are working to soothe tensions following Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso’s announcements to exit the institution.”

“Make every effort to mitigate the negative impacts, utilizing all your diplomatic resources to stabilize and maintain regional cooperation, which is crucial.”

In Germany, we are part of a regional group called the European Union. We understand how crucial regional cooperation is—not only for business and economic matters but also for maintaining political stability.

I deeply appreciate your steadfastness and all that you’re doing for your country and regional cooperation in West Africa.

The German president, on his inaugural visit to Nigeria, remarked that Tinubu’s reforms are gaining attention in Germany and emphasized the importance of increased collaboration between the two nations.

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“German businesses view this as a positive shift in investment relations, and it’s being acknowledged accordingly. We are pleased that Nigeria is Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there’s even greater potential for growth,” he stated.

We see significant opportunities ahead and are eager to harness this potential in the coming years. I’m thankful that we invested substantial time in collaborating with each other.

We each vowed to utilize our opportunities, along with the governments on both sides, to do everything possible in order to promote political and cultural ties.

President Tinubu assured that he will use wisdom to facilitate the reintegration of the three junta-led nations into the regional bloc.

He emphasized that the citizens’ interests remain a priority as they explore various available options.

Tinubu stated, “We will maintain our relationship built on mutual respect as we reassess the circumstances in the three countries. I can assure you that there will be no tolerance for unconstitutional governments.”

We will persist in setting a positive example. Our innocent citizens have been impacted by military actions, and we remain committed to pursuing diplomatic solutions that protect these individuals from harm.

This is what ECOWAS represents. Regardless of the events occurring within member countries, we prioritize the well-being of their citizens. As Chairman of ECOWAS, I aim to avoid personalizing issues and remain open to collaboration.