ECOWAS Ad-Hoc Ministerial Committee on the Construction of Head-quarters of Community Institutions meets on the Margins of the Council of Ministers Meeting in Abuja

The ECOWAS Ad-Hoc Ministerial Committee on the Construction of Headquarters of Community Institutions meets on the Margins of the Council of Ministers meeting on July 5, 2024, at the construction site of the New ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria to consider the report of the Experts’ Meeting of the Committee and assess the progress of work at the site.

The New ECOWAS Headquarters building known as “The Eye of West Africa” along the Airport Road in Abuja is being constructed with a grant from the People’s Republic of China through the China International Development Cooperation Agency (China Aid).

While welcoming the participants, H.E. Madam Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, expressed the appreciation of ECOWAS Institutions to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the land provided, the duty waivers granted, development permits facilitated and all the other supports towards the commencement of the construction at the new ECOWAS Headquarters site.

The Vice President also thanked His Excellency XI Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, and the Government of China for the China-Aid Project of the ECOWAS Headquarters Building in support to the ECOWAS community. “This gesture represents a beacon in the ongoing cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and ECOWAS Member States”, she added.

H.E. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, in his opening remarks thanked his colleague Ministers for their continued commitment to advancing regional integration and socio-economic development of the Region. This he said was evident by their presence at the meeting.

He added that “the new ECOWAS Headquarters is poised to become a beacon of hope, embodying our shared values and heritage. The structure symbolises a promising future for our people – a base from which we will continue to make important strides in regional integration, economic growth, and security”.

After the meeting, the Ministers were taken on tour of the site to see the progress of work which is currently at 33% physical and 45% financial completion. The construction which started in November 2022 is scheduled to be completed and handed over by February 2025.

There was a brief “Topping-out Ceremony” ahead of the site visit which had in attendance Mr. Wei Pengfei, the General Manager of the Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Company (SCEGC) International Corporation, H.E. Mr. Zhang Yi, Charge d’affaires of Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, among other dignitaries.