Global economic downturn, Russia-Ukraine war pushing West Africans into hardship: Buhari

KANO, Nigeria (AA) – Nigeria’s president highlighted Monday that the global economic downturn has deeply affected the economies of West African countries and resulted in dire economic hardships for the region’s residents.

Muhammadu Buhari was speaking at the opening of the 2022 Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

Buhari noted that in spite of several challenges, the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc “has continued to wax stronger as a community and has remained strong and resilient and a shining example of regional integration and solidarity.”

He described threats to peace and security, political instability and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economies as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine as the biggest concerns facing the West Africa region.

“It is on record that the region has not rested on its oars, as we have always striven to evolve effective regional mechanisms to address these challenges. At the height of the pandemic, heads of state of ECOWAS appointed me as the ECOWAS champion on COVID-19.

‘‘We must continue to strive harder to attain those objectives. Let us take advantage of existing mechanisms and our enterprising population to turn our dreams into reality. We have the capacity to do so. Let us collaborate more and remove our outdated physical and psychological boundaries and other colonially-inspired differences so our region can fully attain its full potential,” he said.

Buhari urged the parliament to fulfill their responsibility of considering the community budget with diligence, conscious of the sacrifice of various countries in the payment of the community levy.