President Bola Tinubu is absent as ECOWAS leaders convened in Abuja on Sunday to discuss regional security challenges, including the recent coup attempt in the Republic of Benin.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 68th ordinary session of the ECOWAS authority of heads of state and government held at the State House Conference Centre.
The meeting marks the first time Shettima would head Nigeria’s delegation at an ECOWAS summit held on home soil while the president remained in the country.
Tinubu, who chaired ECOWAS from July 2023 to July 2025 before handing over to Julius Bio, president of Sierra Leone, delegated Shettima to represent Nigeria at the session.
No official reason was given for Tinubu’s absence from the summit.
The meeting, which began at about 3:00 pm, featured a “special debate on the future of the Community”, according to the draft agenda.
Bio, the current ECOWAS chair, presided over the session.
Other leaders present included Patrice Talon of Benin, José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, John Mahama of Ghana, Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Joseph Boakai of Liberia, Bassirou Faye of Senegal, and Faure Gnassingbé of Togo.
The opening ceremony featured remarks by the host country, a statement by Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, and an address by Bio.
Leonardo Santos Simão, head of UNOWAS, and Bankole Adeoye, African Union commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, were also scheduled to speak.
Items listed for deliberation include the 2025 state of the community report and updates from the mediation and security council.
Leaders are also considering reports on the ECOWAS trade liberalisation scheme, the situation in Benin, and political developments in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea.
The summit comes after an attempted coup in Benin Republic on December 7, 2025, and renewed instability in parts of the sub-region.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.