Tinubu To Travel To Kenya For AU Meeting

President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday, July 15.

The president’s purpose is to attend the Fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting (5thMYCM) of the African Union (AU), an event that brings together various regional organizations and AU member states.

As the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Tinubu will present a report at the meeting. It will outline the progress of regional integration in ECOWAS, detailing actions taken by its institutions, member-states, and other stakeholders in areas like trade, free movement of persons, investment promotion, and security.

The 5thMYCM’s theme for 2023 is “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation”. This high-profile meeting will assemble the Bureau of the AU Assembly, which includes leaders from Comoros, Botswana, Burundi, and Senegal, and heads of eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

These regional economic communities include ECOWAS chaired by Nigeria, the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN SAD), the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

The meeting will also involve the African Union Commission and the RMs.

President Tinubu, who will be accompanied by senior government officials, is expected to return to the country at the conclusion of the meeting.