From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu will leave Abuja today for Lagos to celebrate, along with other leaders, the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said in a statement yesterday that the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee was flagged off in Accra last month.
The Lagos event will include reenacting the 1975 declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Victoria Island.
At the Eko Hotels and Suites, President Tinubu, the Chairman of ECOWAS, would highlight the economic bloc’s milestones.
The Chairman of the NIIA Board and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, is expected to review the bloc’s 50-year journey, which panellists at the NIIA would later analyse.
The only surviving Head of State, who signed the ECOWAS declaration, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), will participate in all the ceremonies and deliver a speech at the Eko Hotels.
Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, will deliver the welcome address.
While in Lagos, President Tinubu will, on Saturday, May 31, commission some projects of his administration.
Among them are Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Lekki Deep Sea Port, Tax Credit Concrete Road, the flag-off of Section II of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, and the 7th Axial Road.
The President will virtually commission Kano-Kanwar-Danja-Hadejiya Section II Road and Yakasai-Zalli Road and flag off the Kano Northern By-Pass, Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai Section I, Dabai-Kafur Malumfashi and Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe-Gidan Mutum Daya Section III.
He will observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House, Dodan Barracks, before returning to Abuja.