Nigerian lawmakers, including Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, were inaugurated on Thursday as members of the sixth legislature of the ECOWAS parliament.
The ceremony, held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, was a prestigious event attended by President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and dignitaries from ECOWAS member states. President Tinubu, who also serves as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, officially inaugurated the new parliamentarians.
Barau, Akpoti-Uduaghan, and their fellow Nigerian representatives took their oaths during the opening session, formally joining the ECOWAS Parliament. This body is one of the key institutions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), established by the 1975 ECOWAS Treaty. The treaty, currently in its 1993 revised form, provides the framework for regional cooperation in West Africa.
The ECOWAS Parliament brings together 115 representatives from the 15 member states, with Nigeria holding the largest delegation of 35 members. Ghana follows with eight seats, while Côte d’Ivoire has seven. Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal each hold six seats.
The Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, played a crucial role in transmitting the list of Nigerian delegates to the ECOWAS Commission and Parliament leadership. Notably, Senator Barau will serve as the leader of the Nigerian delegation in this sixth legislature.
The newly inaugurated parliamentarians will hold their positions for four years, starting from their inauguration date. Their work will be instrumental in furthering regional integration and cooperation within ECOWAS.
