Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maitama Tuggar, has affirmed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has not abandoned its efforts to reintegrate Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger into the regional bloc.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja ahead of ECOWAS’s 50th Anniversary celebration scheduled for Lagos, Ambassador Tuggar said the organization remains hopeful that the three military-led countries will eventually return.

“The door remains open. We still believe these nations may rejoin ECOWAS under different conditions,” Tuggar stated.

The three countries had earlier exited ECOWAS and established the Alliance of Sahel States, criticizing ECOWAS for inefficiency and being influenced by external forces.

Tuggar clarified that ECOWAS’s decision to relocate some of its agencies from the Sahel States was in line with established agreements among member nations. He explained that hosting such institutions is a privilege reserved for active members.

“For instance, moving the West Africa Health Organization from Burkina Faso follows the rules agreed upon by all member states. Once a country leaves ECOWAS, it loses the right to host ECOWAS institutions,” he said.

Addressing regional security concerns, Tuggar highlighted that the spread of arms and armed groups in West Africa can be traced back to the fallout from Libya’s civil war and the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

“The instability in Libya led to the uncontrolled movement of weapons and fighters into West Africa, which has fueled terrorism and armed violence,” he explained.

The Minister also noted that, under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, ECOWAS has strengthened its peace and security architecture, including reactivating the ECOWAS Standby Force.

“There has been notable progress in areas such as border control and intelligence cooperation,” he added, noting that Nigeria is collaborating with neighboring countries through initiatives like the Multinational Joint Task Force to boost regional security.`