Nigeria's Enikanolaiye Announces Joint Commissions with Sahel

Nigeria is moving to revive joint commissions with Sahelian nations, as disclosed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the inaugural session of the ECOWAS–Confederation of Sahel States (AES) Ministerial Dialogue held on Saturday in Dakar, Senegal. Enikanolaiye emphasized the strategic necessity of this engagement, highlighting the deep historical, cultural, and geographical ties between the peoples of ECOWAS and AES nations.

He noted that leveraging these bonds is crucial for addressing shared regional threats, including cross-border terrorism, food insecurity, infrastructure deficits, and challenges related to the free movement of persons, goods, and services. The meeting, convened under the auspices of ECOWAS Chairman and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, resulted in an agreement to establish joint thematic working groups.

These committees will draft a comprehensive cooperation framework agreement to govern future relations between ECOWAS and the Sahelian bloc while respecting sovereign dignity. Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to West African cohesion and collaboration with regional partners.