Tinubu heads to Kenya for AU mid-year meeting

President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to fly to Nairobi today to take part in the fifth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs), and African Union member states.

The Nigerian leader will attend the meeting tomorrow along with Heads of State and Government, Foreign Ministers of AU Member States, and high-level dignitaries. He also serves as Chairman of ECOWAS.

The president will present a report on the state of regional integration in ECOWAS, highlighting initiatives taken during the review period by ECOWAS institutions, member states, the private sector, and other stakeholders to deepen integration through trade, free movement of people, investment promotion, infrastructure development, peace, security, and stability, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Dele Alake.

He detailed that the meeting will bring together the bureau of the AU Assembly, which is made up of the heads of state and governments of Senegal, Botswana, Comoros, and the eight RECs. The event will take place under the AU’s theme for 2023, “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation,” he said.

“These regional economic communities include ECOWAS chaired by Nigeria, the East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD), Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS),” the statement read.

“The meeting will also involve the African Union Commission and the RMs. President Tinubu, who will be accompanied by senior government officials, is expected to return to the country at the conclusion of the meeting,” it added.