The Nigerian government has officially invited Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to participate in the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit, even though these countries recently withdrew from ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States).
At a press briefing in Abuja, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said the decision to invite them shows Nigeria’s belief that regional cooperation shouldn’t end over political disagreements.
“These countries are still our neighbours and trading partners. We share more than just borders, we share a common future,” Tuggar said.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu personally sent special envoys to deliver the invitations to the three nations. The summit is scheduled to take place on June 20–21, 2025, at the newly renovated Abuja International Conference Centre and will gather regional leaders, ministers, business figures, development partners, and youth innovators to explore opportunities for boosting trade and investment and to strengthen regional integration.
Tuggar stressed that the withdrawal of these nations from ECOWAS does not end ongoing collaborations. He noted that ongoing bilateral projects, such as the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission, continue to drive development initiatives despite political realignments.
