Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu announced on Saturday that Nigeria is prepared to host the African Central Bank, aligning with the goals outlined in the Abuja Treaty.
Tinubu shared this commitment while addressing leaders at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Tinubu expressed his administration’s dedication to collaborating with the African Union Commission and member states to ensure the successful establishment of the bank by the scheduled date in 2028.
“In line with the vision of the Abuja Treaty, we are ready to host the African Central Bank, and we will engage the AU Commission and member states to ensure it takes off as planned in 2028,” President Tinubu stated.
He emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity among African nations to overcome challenges, including those posed by climate change and unfair global trade patterns.
Tinubu highlighted the need for the continent to address both external challenges and internal issues, such as coup-related governance disruptions and constitutional amendments affecting leadership tenures.
“As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people,” Tinubu remarked.
Speaking on recent military takeovers in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Tinubu underscored the significance of maintaining regional cooperation despite disagreements over unconstitutional changes of government.
“The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people,” he stated.
Tinubu concluded his address with an open invitation for diplomatic dialogue, stating, “If you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are.”
