President Bola Tinubu has visited the Nigerian Troops stationed in Bissau as part of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force.
Tinubu arrived at the Aeroporto International Guinea-Bissau on Saturday for the 63rd Ordinary session of the Authority of Head of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African State ECOWAS.
The 63rd Ordinary Session summit, which was opened on Sunday was the first international engagement of the President within the African continent since he assumed office. President Tinubu was later made the ECOWAS Chairman.
The 16 regional leaders addressed memoranda on pressing sub-regional issues including Report of the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) covering security challenges faced by the member countries, Report of the 90th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the financial situation of the body and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Other matters discussed are the Report on the status of Transition in the Republics of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, Memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme and the Report on Obstacles to Free Movement of Goods on the Abidjan- Lagos corridor.
Upon his arrival, President Tinubu visited the Nigerian Troops under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force in Guinea-Bissau.
He commended the soldiers and their Commander, General Al-hassan Grema, for their dedication and service to Nigeria and their host country, adding that Nigeria will continue to support democracy in West Africa and around the world.
Earlier, Brigadier General Grema had expressed the appreciation of the troops to President Tinubu for being the first Commander-in-Chief in the history of Nigeria to visit soldiers outside the shore of the country.
On the entourage of the President are the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Acting Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Folashodun Shonubi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Kana; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Aliyu Ahmed, and ECOWAS Permanent Representative, Ambassador Musa Nuhu.
Others on the entourage include former Governors, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State.