How Appointing Tinubu as ECOWAS Chair Broke West Africa
(By The Political Razzmatazz Editorial Team | Regional Politics & Trade)
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) made a massive error by making Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu its chairman. According to David Ofosu-Dorte, a highly respected Senior Partner at AB & David Africa, this single mistake is why the West African group is broken today.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the top Ghanaian lawyer explained how President Tinubu’s harsh reaction to the 2023 coup in Niger pushed three major countries out of the regional group.
Here is a simple breakdown of why this appointment is now being called a costly mistake for the entire West African region.
The Danger of a Rushed Appointment
President Tinubu was appointed as the chairman of ECOWAS in July 2023. This happened barely a month after he took office as the President of Nigeria.
Ofosu-Dorte argued that this quick appointment was a poor calculation. Because Tinubu was very new in power, his lack of experience in handling complex regional crises led to an overly aggressive response.
“ECOWAS made a mistake by appointing Tinubu as chair a month after he took office as president… It is his statement about invading them that led to them pulling out eventually. It was an error which we are still paying for.” — David Ofosu-Dorte
The Threat of War and the Great Split
When the military took over power in Niger, President Tinubu chose to use a very hardline approach. Instead of focusing heavily on quiet talks and peace-building, the new ECOWAS chair supported heavy sanctions and even threatened a military invasion to remove the coup leaders.
This threat of war created deep anger and fear. As a direct result, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso formed their own alliance and completely withdrew from ECOWAS. They stated that the group’s hostile behavior was their main reason for leaving.
Instead of uniting West Africa, the aggressive approach weakened ECOWAS and greatly reduced Nigeria’s political influence in the region.
The Heavy Cost on Trade
The exit of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso is not just a political problem. It is a massive economic disaster for everyday people.
These three countries are landlocked, meaning they do not have direct access to the sea. They rely heavily on coastal countries like Ghana and Nigeria to bring in goods through their seaports. Because of the political split caused by the ECOWAS threats, trade across the region has been badly affected. Cargo movement has dropped, and business owners are paying the price.
The tough approach simply did not achieve the peace and unity that ECOWAS hoped for. Instead, it divided the region and hurt everyday trade.
