New ECOWAS headquarters for completion in 2025
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Yusuf Tuggar, has stated that the new ECOWAS headquarters building known as “The Eye of West Africa” is poised to become a beacon of hope, embodying the shared values and heritage of West Africa.
The construction which started in November 2022 is scheduled to be completed and handed over by February 2025.
A statement issued by ECOWAS on Sunday noted that the minister spoke after the ECOWAS Ad-Hoc Ministerial Committee on the Construction of Headquarters of Community Institutions met on the margins of the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, at the construction site of the New ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja.
Tuggar said, “The new ECOWAS Headquarters is poised to become a beacon of hope,” stressing that the structure symbolises a promising future for Africa and a base from which Africans will continue to make important strides in regional integration, economic growth and security.
The minister thanked his colleague ministers for their continued commitment to advancing regional integration and socio-economic development of the region.
This he said was evident by their presence at the meeting.
While welcoming the participants, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Madam Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, expressed the appreciation of ECOWAS Institutions to Nigeria for the land provided, the duty waivers granted, development permits facilitated and all the other supports towards the commencement of the construction at the new ECOWAS Headquarters site.
The Vice President also thanked the Chinese President, XI Jinping, and the Government of China for the China-Aid Project of the ECOWAS Headquarters Building in support of the ECOWAS community.
“This gesture represents a beacon in the ongoing cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and ECOWAS member states,” she added.
The construction which started in November 2022 is scheduled to be completed and handed over by February 2025.
The new ECOWAS building along the Airport Road in Abuja is being constructed with a grant from the People’s Republic of China through the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
After the meeting, the ministers were taken on tour of the site to see the progress of work which is currently at 33 per cent physical and 45 per cent financial completion.
There was a brief “Topping-out Ceremony” ahead of the site visit which had in attendance Mr. Wei Pengfei, the General Manager of the Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company (SCEGC) International Corporation, H.E. Mr. Zhang Yi, Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, among other dignitaries
