Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is leading the country’s delegation to the first round of discussions between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Dakar, Senegal.
The high-level meeting, which began this Friday, October 16, 2026, is aimed at strengthening diplomatic efforts to restore regional cohesion and preserve the gains of integration among West African countries.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the discussions are expected to align the strategic positions of ECOWAS member states and facilitate structured engagements with the AES at ministerial and technical levels.
The talks will focus on addressing shared regional concerns and developing a common framework for engagement between the two regional blocs.
The ministry said the meeting is expected to produce agreement on a draft General Framework Agreement between ECOWAS and AES member states ahead of the end-of-year summit scheduled to hold in Abuja in December 2026.
Nigeria, a founding member of ECOWAS, reaffirmed its commitment to regional integration, peace and security, stressing the importance of preserving longstanding relationships among West African countries.
The ministry said Enikanolaiye’s participation underscored Nigeria’s determination to ensure that the withdrawal of AES member states from ECOWAS does not undermine the longstanding cultural and geographical ties among countries in the sub-region.
The engagement forms part of broader diplomatic efforts to maintain cooperation and address common challenges despite the political and institutional differences between ECOWAS and the Sahel alliance.
