Nigeria: Rekindling Regional Alliances Amid ECOWAS Strains

Edited by: Aminata Diallo

In a strategic diplomatic gesture, Nigeria has invited Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali to participate in the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit, despite their recent collective withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Speaking on the initiative, Nigerian Foreign Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar stressed that their exit from ECOWAS does not diminish their relevance to regional economic development.

This outreach underscores Nigeria’s broader effort to decouple economic cooperation from political fragmentation in a region grappling with growing instability and shifting alliances. By extending an olive branch to the Sahel states, Abuja aims to maintain dialogue and foster pragmatic collaboration, even outside formal institutional structures.

Analysts interpret the move as a calculated attempt by West Africa’s largest economy to safeguard regional integration at a time when ECOWAS itself is facing a legitimacy crisis. As Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger turn toward alternative international partners and security frameworks, Nigeria’s initiative could pave the way for a more flexible, interest-driven model of cooperation.

The upcoming summit is poised to be a pivotal moment in testing Nigeria’s ability to navigate new regional dynamics and redefine leadership in a fractured geopolitical environment. As security threats and diplomatic rifts escalate, Abuja’s outreach may serve as the first step toward reimagining unity in West Africa.