The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has described China as one of its most strategic partners, citing the construction of its new 56.5-million-dollar headquarters in Abuja and sustained military support for regional peace and security.
China officially handed over the keys to the seven-hectare, 11-storey, multimillion-dollar headquarters complex to ECOWAS in April, ahead of Thursday’s commissioning.
Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, at the official commissioning of the headquarters complex in Abuja on Thursday, thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for providing ‘a regional landmark’ that would serve as the seat of the ECOWAS Commission and other institutions.
He recalled that China had consistently supported ECOWAS’ regional integration agenda.
“We may recall that this is not the first time that the Chinese Government has partnered with ECOWAS to deepen our regional integration efforts.
“In the not-too-distant past, the Government of the People’s Republic of China provided very important strategic support to our regional peace and security efforts with military equipment and vehicles to support the deployment of ECOWAS Standby Force activities.
“These and many more interventions across our member states make China a very strategic partner for West Africa,” he said.
Touray commended China for completing and delivering the headquarters within two years, calling the feat a demonstration of its commitment to strategic partnership and efficiency.
He said the project exemplified China’s support for regional development through generous financial and technical assistance.
“This contribution underscores the strength of China-ECOWAS relations and their positive impact on our peace, security and development agenda.
“As we formally commission this remarkable edifice today, let it stand as a lasting symbol of unity, resilience and the strong partnership between West Africa and China, and indeed as a symbol of our shared destiny,” he said.
The commission’s president also called for deeper international cooperation and regional integration, as well as stronger efforts to promote peace, security, economic transformation and the welfare of West African citizens.
Yu Dunhai, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, described the new headquarters, known as the Eye of West Africa, as a flagship project under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
He said President Xi Jinping and African leaders had, at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, outlined a shared vision for building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.
According to him, the commissioning marks another milestone in China’s longstanding support for African integration and demonstrates the strength of contemporary China-Africa cooperation.
He said the project reflected the enduring bond between China and Africa and embodied the shared aspiration of West African countries for unity, strength and prosperity.
Yu reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening exchanges on governance, strengthening Africa’s voice in global affairs and promoting a more just and equitable international governance system.
“China and Africa are brothers and partners bound by a shared future. In our cooperation, China consistently upholds the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, alongside the right approach to justice and interests.
“China remains a trustworthy friend and reliable partner to ECOWAS and all West African countries. We should expand exchanges in culture, education, youth and sports to strengthen the foundation of China-Africa friendship.
“China consistently views and develops its relations with ECOWAS from a strategic and long-term perspective. We firmly support ECOWAS in playing a leading role in maintaining regional peace, promoting development and improving livelihoods,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, described China as a dependable partner in regional development.
He said the new ECOWAS headquarters stood as a lasting testament to the friendship and cooperation between China and the regional bloc.
“China’s remarkable development journey demonstrates that sustained vision, resilience and strategic investment can transform nations and regions alike.
“Having overcome immense developmental challenges over the past decades, China understands, as few others can, the complexity of the path upon which West Africa now sets its feet,” he said.
President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also expressed appreciation to China, describing the new headquarters as a lasting symbol of partnership, mutual cooperation and friendship.
He said the responsibility of member states extended beyond preserving the new headquarters to strengthening and modernising the institution to meet the demands of a changing world.
“We receive this headquarters with profound gratitude and an equally profound sense of responsibility.
“Its true legacy will be measured not by how it was built, but by how faithfully it advances the aspirations of the people of West Africa,” Bio said.
@NAN