Nigeria’s Foreign Policy and the Challenge of the AES Sub-region: The Dilemma of What Future?

Bola A. Akinterinwa Regional integration is being promoted by sub-regional integration with the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in West Africa as at today. The withdrawal makes it the second time Francophone countries would withdraw from the regional body.

Mauritania was the first to formally withdraw from the ECOWAS on 28th December, 2000, and by so doing, reducing the membership of the organisation from 16 to 15. With the notice of immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, on 28 January 2024, from the ECOWAS, the establishment of a confederation on 6 July, 2024, and with their public declaration of no returning to the ECOWAS again, it is clear that they are not only anti-France but also anti-ECOWAS henceforth. By implication, the ECOWAS is now left with twelve original members.

And true enough, the withdrawal has led to the establishment of a confederation, the origin of which is traceable to the defence and security pact done on 16 September 2023, called Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES), meaning the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS). The ASS is a direct resultant from the ECOWAS 7-day ultimatum given to Niger Republic on Sunday. July 30.

2023 and which expired on August 6, 2023. It can also be argued that the fear of the ultimatum created the fear of unpredictability of the ECOWAS that prompted the ASS to acquire military weapons in preparation for self-defence. The ASS does not want to be cut.