Experts from ECOWAS member states gathered at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja on July 2, 2024, to review the progress of the new ECOWAS headquarters construction. The meeting, chaired by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Mr Naha Francis Ako, included key stakeholders such as the ECOWAS Commission project management team, the Acting Director of Transport, Mr Chris Appiah, and the Director of Administration and General Services, Mr Seydou Kassory Bangoura, along with representatives of the Nigerian government. This gathering aimed to ensure the project remains on schedule and to address any potential challenges.

The purpose of the meeting was to examine the progress of work on the site and any obstacles that may arise to ensure its timely completion. Following the technical meeting, attendees participated in a field visit to the headquarters project location to assess the progress of the work firsthand. The agenda included a detailed presentation of the progress report, an on-site inspection, and deliberations on key recommendations to ensure the project remains on track. Additionally, the participants viewed a video presentation by the Chinese construction team, providing an overview of the ongoing construction activities.

In his welcome address, the Director of Administration and General Services, Mr Seydou Kassory Bangoura, emphasized the importance of the new headquarters, stating, “This meeting marks another important step in actualizing our dream of providing the commission with a modern and conducive work environment that will lead to better productivity from all staff members and eliminate the recurrent expenditure associated with office space.” The Acting Director of Transport, Mr. Chris Appiah, in his opening remarks, highlighted the significance of the project, noting, “The significance of this project cannot be overstated as it represents a major milestone in our regional integration efforts.”

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Mr Naha Francis Ako, underscored the importance of collective efforts, saying, “Let us work together to make this project a success and a proud legacy for our region.” Mr Ako also expressed the Nigerian government’s commitment to supporting the project: “The Nigerian Government is dedicated to the successful completion of this project, which will stand as a testament to our collective efforts towards regional integration and development.”

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the report and a formal closing ceremony.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Reacting to the hiring by the Nigerian oil regulator of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and S&P Global to help scrutinize the sale of Shell’s onshore assets in the country, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director, said:

“The government regulator overseeing Shell’s sale of its onshore assets in Nigeria must avoid any perceived conflict of interests by ensuring and guaranteeing the full independence of any consultants it uses to review Shell’s proposed sale of its assets in Nigeria.

“The decision by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to hire BCG, which already performs a wide variety of other work for Shell, to help assess this sale is concerning. It is similarly worrying that S&P Global, which also plays a key role in rating Shell’s debt and creditworthiness as well as providing other services to the oil company, is also involved.

“Given the enormous human rights risks at stake it is essential that reviews of the sale are not just independent – but seen to be independent. Shell must be held fully to account for the oil spills related to the business it is selling, which for decades have polluted the environment, contaminated drinking water and poisoned agricultural land, fisheries and people.

“Any assurances from these consultancy groups that their reviews will be divorced from their wider commercial interests with Shell are unlikely to allay worries that they could soft pedal on the remedies required to address the human rights abuses related to Shell’s activities.

“It is also essential that the potential buyers of the business have the ability and financial stability to manage the operations safely and effectively to ensure local communities are not exposed to further harms. The deal should not be allowed to proceed unless a series of safeguards are in place that fully protect people’s rights.”

Background

Shell announced in January that it had agreed to sell the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium, which comprises four exploration and production companies based in Nigeria and an international energy group, in a deal worth up to US$2.4 billion, financed partly with a loan to the buyers from Shell.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

An excavation of archaeological heritage has been conducted in the area of Meal-Arha in Egri-Mekel, Emini-Haili sub-zone, in collaboration with the Commission of Culture and the Southern Region administration.

Dr. Abraham Zeray, an archaeologist at the Commission of Culture and Sports, indicated that the archaeological finding was discovered during the construction of a dam in the area. The discovery included human remains and ceramics. Dr. Abraham also mentioned that additional studies are needed to determine the age of the archaeological findings.

Commending the residents for their initiative in informing the concerned institutions about the findings and their keen interest in preserving ancient heritage, Mr. Gebremicael Gebreselasie, an archaeologist at the Department of Culture and Sports in the region, called on others to do the same if they come across heritage items in their areas.

Egri-Mekel is located 7 km south of the Mendefera-Adi-Quala road.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

On July 5, commencing at 10:00 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. TSUJI Kiyoto, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Romuald WADAGNI, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Benin. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

At the outset, State Minister Tsuji expressed his warm welcome to Minister Wadagni for visiting Japan and showed his gratitude for the letter from H.E. Mr. Talon, President of the Republic of Benin, for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred in January this year. State Minister Tsuji also stated that Japan recognizes significant importance to the relationship with Benin and that Japan would like to take the opportunity of the TICAD Ministerial Meeting next month and TICAD 9 in August next year to deepen the bilateral relationship with Benin. In response, Minister Wadagni expressed his gratitude for the support of Japan to date and his expectation to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The two sides confirmed that they would work for further development of bilateral relations through cooperation on infrastructure development, industry promotion and improvement of people’s living environment, as well as peace and stability in Benin as a gateway to the Sahel region.
The two sides concurred on continuing to work closely to address global issues, while confirming to co-create innovative solutions to challenges that will lead to prosperity and transformation for both Japan and Africa, through the TICAD process.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.