By Temitope Ponle
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has assured member states of the completion of the new commission building, also known as the ”Eye of West Africa”, by February 2025.
Amb. Yakubu Dadu, Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on the Construction of the New ECOWAS Community Institutions Headquarters, said this at a meeting at the experts level held in Abuja.
The foundation of the new building was laid on Dec. 4, 2022 in Abuja and the project is being financed by the Chinese Government through the China Aid.
Dadu thanked China for its financial and technical support and Nigeria for their approvals and waivers to the project’s Chinese contractor.
He also reassured the ECOWAS community that all hands were on deck to ensure the speedy delivery of the project in line with the proposed timeline.
In his remarks, Mr Seydou Bangoura, Director, Administration and General Services, ECOWAS Commission, said the meeting marked an important step in providing the community with a modern and conducive work environment.
Bangoura said it would improve the productivity of staff and reduce the expenditure associated with the use of various office buildings in Abuja, Nigeria.
The director said the outbreak of the COVID pandemic brought a temporary halt to the involvement of the committee in the building construction project.
He, however, said the expertise and supervisory functions of the committee were needed now since the construction of the building foundation was just starting.
More so, he said the approved building design and work schedule would be presented to the committee after the visitation to the construction site as inputs into their construction progress report.
The meeting, held at the headquarters of the ECOWAS Commission, had participants from Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The agenda of the Ministerial Level Meeting on April 12 would be based on the final report of the Experts Level Meeting.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Dec. 4, 2022 President Muhammadu Buhari performed the official ground-breaking ceremony of the new ECOWAS Headquarters complex.
President Buhari declared that the edifice will strengthen the brotherhood of African countries.
The building which comes in the aftermath of engagements and an agreement between the Peoples Republic of China and ECOWAS was envisioned as an all-inclusive architectural phenomenon.
It would represent the three hundred and eighty million West African Citizens and would house the three major ECOWAS Institutions, including the ECOWAS Commission, the Community Court of Justice and the Parliament.
NAN reports that the ”Eye of West Africa” is China’s commitment to the sub-regional organisation. (NAN)
