Shettima stands in for Tinubu as West African leaders gather in Freetown for the bloc’s mid-year session
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Shettima landed at Lungi International Airport on Sunday, where he was received by Sierra Leone’s Vice-President, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, alongside a Nigerian delegation that included Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Ayo Luther-Ogbomode, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo, and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Olawale Awe.
What the ECOWAS summit will focus on
The summit, held at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown, brought together heads of state and government, ministers, senior government officials, regional institutions and business leaders to deliberate on issues affecting the West African sub-region.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice-President, said Shettima would join political and business leaders from across West Africa and beyond at the high-level meeting.
“The Vice President will join Heads of State and Government, ministers, senior officials, regional institutions, and business leaders at the summit taking place today, July 19, 2026, at the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Freetown,” the statement read.
According to the presidency, the summit was expected to consider key policy decisions and strategic resolutions aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and reaffirming member states’ commitment to peace, democracy, economic growth and regional integration.
“The meeting is expected to consider major policy decisions and strategic resolutions aimed at strengthening peace and security, democratic governance, regional trade, economic integration, infrastructure development, and sustainable growth across West Africa,” the statement added.
Why the ECOWAS summit matters this year
The meeting forms part of ECOWAS’s statutory mid-year engagements, providing a platform for member states to assess progress on regional priorities, including security, democratic governance, trade, infrastructure, economic integration and sustainable development.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the regional bloc’s highest decision-making body, meets periodically to deliberate on political, economic and security issues affecting member states.
The presidency said Shettima is expected to return to Abuja at the conclusion of the summit.
