We’re Open To Talks With Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday said despite recent coups in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea and their decision to exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria is still willing to have talks with the African countries.

Tinubu who spoke at the African leaders at the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia said his administration will work with member states and the AU Commission to ensure that the African Central Bank launches on time in 2028.

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He emphasised that the long-standing bonds of regional affinities and collaboration shouldn’t be permanently severed as a result of the differences over the unconstitutional changes of administration in the various nations, adding that Nigeria is prepared to welcome the bank in keeping with the goals of the Abuja Treaty.

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This is happening at the same time that the African Union is eradicating conflicts that have hampered the continent’s development via terrorism, which has destroyed parts of the states, and by inverting priorities by increasing military spending at the expense of important social sectors.

In order to prevent the continuation of current issues and the emergence of new ones, President Tinubu emphasised that the strength of Africa’s resolution, based on a foundation of deeply ingrained unity, is critical to the continent’s ability to successfully confront its difficulties.

He said: “As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people. Many of these obstacles, such as climate change and unfair patterns of global trade, are largely not of our making.

“However, some of the pitfalls, including coup-birthed autocracies and the deleterious tinkering with constitutional tenure provisions, are developmental cancers we as Africans are giving to ourselves.

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“The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people.

“Thus, out of the dust and fog of misunderstanding and acrimony, we must seize the chance to create a new people-centric era of trust and accord.

“To all who care to listen, I declare that if you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are.”