The Ghanaian President, John Mahama, on Thursday called for continued dialogue between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic.
Mahama made this call during a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The visit was the Ghanaian leader’s first to Nigeria since his inauguration on January 7.
Mahama said he came to express his gratitude for the honour accorded him during his inauguration and to brief Tinubu on his visits to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The three countries left the sub-regional body in 2024.
This followed ECOWAS decision to impose sanctions on the Niger Republic in response to the August 2023 coup in the landlocked state.
He said: “As ECOWAS chairman, it is my duty to brief him on some of the concerns raised during those visits so that we can continue dialogue with these countries.
“We just need to find ways to keep the conversation going.”
Tinubu commended Mahama’s efforts to strengthen ties between ECOWAS and the Sahel countries.
He said that if left unchecked, the security challenges in the Sahel region could hinder economic opportunities.
President Tinubu, therefore, stressed the need for ongoing dialogue to ensure the security and prosperity of countries in the sub-region.