By Bukar BOLORI

President of Senegal and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, has arrived Abuja for an official visit to the regional bloc’s principal institutions and the swearing-in of newly appointed judges of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

Faye arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, where he was received by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, senior officials of the Commission and representatives of the Senegalese Embassy in Nigeria.

His visit comes as ECOWAS continues efforts to strengthen its institutions and deepen regional cooperation amid challenges confronting the West African integration project.

During the visit, the Senegalese leader is expected to engage with the leadership and officials of the ECOWAS Commission, Parliament and Court of Justice, all based in Abuja.

He is also expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new judges of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, placing the regional judiciary at the centre of his official engagements in the Nigerian capital.

The visit, according to the regional bloc, underscores the importance attached to strengthening unity, solidarity and institutional cooperation among member states as ECOWAS pursues its objectives of peace, stability, regional integration and sustainable development.

Faye’s engagement with the Community’s principal institutions is also expected to reaffirm the commitment of the Authority of Heads of State and Government to improving the effectiveness of ECOWAS institutions and advancing the bloc’s integration agenda.

The ECOWAS Commission, Parliament and Court of Justice constitute key pillars of the regional organisation, with the institutions playing different roles in advancing economic integration, democratic governance, community legislation and justice within the bloc.

The visit, therefore, provides an opportunity for the ECOWAS chairman to interact directly with the institutions responsible for implementing and supporting the Community’s regional agenda.

Faye assumed the rotating chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government as President of Senegal, making his engagement with the institutions headquartered in Abuja significant to the bloc’s ongoing efforts to maintain cohesion and strengthen institutional cooperation.

His arrival in Abuja further underscores Nigeria’s continuing importance as host country to the principal institutions of the West African regional organisation.

The President is expected to conclude his engagements with meetings with officials of the various ECOWAS institutions and participation in the judicial swearing-in ceremony.

The official visit was announced in Abuja on October 5, 2026.