Vice President Kashim Shettima departed Abuja on Sunday to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The summit, scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026, will take place at the newly commissioned Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown. Vice President Shettima will join other political and business leaders from across West Africa and beyond for the high-level regional gathering.
According to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), the summit is expected to focus on key policy decisions and strategic resolutions aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. Leaders are also expected to reaffirm their collective commitment to peace, democracy, economic growth, and regional integration.
The meeting forms part of ECOWAS’s mid-year statutory engagements, bringing together Heads of State and Government, ministers, senior officials, and regional institutions to review progress on the bloc’s priorities, including security, democratic governance, economic integration, trade, infrastructure, and sustainable development. Key issues on the agenda include peace and security, democratic governance, and strengthening ECOWAS institutions as the region grapples with growing political, economic, and security challenges.
Preparatory meetings held in Freetown ahead of the summit included sessions of the Administration and Finance Committee, the Mediation and Security Council, and the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, which reviewed administrative, financial, and institutional matters before forwarding recommendations to the authority of heads of state and government. The Sierra Leonean government also inaugurated the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre and an ECOWAS Logistics Depot to support the summit and future regional engagements.
Sierra Leone is hosting the summit for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the country’s diplomatic history and reflecting regional confidence in its stability and leadership. The 69th Ordinary Session follows a series of ECOWAS statutory meetings held in Freetown from July 12 to 17, 2026.
Vice President Shettima is expected to return to Abuja at the conclusion of his engagements in Sierra Leone.