By Ebenezer Mabinuola
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, May 27, to lead celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a historic event returning to the city where the bloc was founded in 1975.
Landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport around 4:15 p.m., Tinubu was received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a military honour guard. As ECOWAS chairman, he will host fellow leaders and dignitaries at a commemorative summit spread across the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Eko Hotel & Suites.
The anniversary comes at a tense time for the bloc, following the recent withdrawals of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Still, officials are emphasizing unity and past achievements in trade, infrastructure, and security cooperation.
“ECOWAS was born here. It’s only fitting the anniversary is celebrated here,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar. Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, the last surviving founding father of ECOWAS, is expected to attend.
While in Lagos, Tinubu will also commission key infrastructure projects, including the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and a concrete road at Lekki Deep Sea Port. He is also expected to flag off the highway’s second phase.
The Lagos State Government has issued traffic advisories for Victoria Island, with diversions on roads like Ozumba Mbadiwe and Adetokunbo Ademola. LASTMA officers will be on ground to manage traffic during the three-day event.
Tinubu will round off his visit with Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Dodan Barracks before returning to Abuja.
