Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has expressed optimism that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will soon return to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following their withdrawal earlier this year.

Tuggar made these remarks while receiving a delegation from the ECOWAS Parliament led by Speaker Memounatou Ibrahima during a courtesy visit in Abuja on Friday.

"We will continue to work hard towards the success of ECOWAS and all member states, including the three recently withdrawn ones. We are encouraging them to come back," Tuggar stated.

The minister emphasized that ECOWAS has not closed its doors to the three Sahel countries, which officially exited the regional bloc on January 29, 2025.

"We are confident that they will return because they are part and parcel of the region. It is just a matter of time," he added.

Despite their exit, Tuggar assured that Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states would continue to maintain relations with the three countries as neighbors and work together in areas of mutual benefit.

Call for Media Focus on Regional Development

The Foreign Affairs Minister urged West African media to shift focus from the countries' exit and instead highlight positive developmental projects in the remaining twelve member states.

He listed several ongoing regional initiatives including the West African Power Pool, ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme, Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, and Abidjan-Dakar Corridor as examples of projects enhancing regional development.

Tuggar described the ECOWAS Parliament as "an embodiment of the representation of the citizens of member states with demonstrated commitment toward constitutional and democratic governance."

ECOWAS Parliament's 25th Anniversary

During the visit, Speaker Ibrahima informed the minister that the delegation aimed to update him on the parliament's activities over the past 18 months and discuss future plans.

She revealed that the ECOWAS Parliament, established in 2000, is preparing for its 25th anniversary as a regional legislature later in November.

"We are working on how we can have some capability and enhancement so that we can have more legislative role in the ECOWAS Community," Ibrahima said.

The Speaker added that the parliament is exploring ways to support ECOWAS in all its programs and activities to strengthen regional integration and cooperation.