Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Niger's military junta are set to begin talks this week, with a date set after Nigeria's Islamic scholars brief President Bola Tinubu. ECOWAS welcomed Niger's military rulers' readiness for dialogue, and General Abdourahmane Tchiani expressed readiness for dialogue. President Tinubu is keen to see progress and ECOWAS leaders are committed to a peaceful end to the issue. Niger's military leaders have disclosed the reason they ignored a delegation led by former Nigeria's Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, in an attempt to restore the toppled government. Both parties had fruitful discussions. The Nigeria Labour Congress cautions ECOWAS against military action, while Ajaero calls for ECOWAS to listen to Nigerians and stakeholders across continents and not wage war against the junta.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will follow its sanctions against the military junta in the Republic of Niger to the letter. But the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) advised President Tinubu, who is also Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, to urgently withdraw all sanctions imposed on Niger Republic to ease negotiation. Nigeria had on August 4 closed all its borders with Niger and cut off electricity supply to the country following the refusal by the junta to reinstate detained President Mohamed Bazoum whose government was toppled on July 26. The military rulers had recently expressed their readiness to dialogue with ECOWAS on the crisis. United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said he still sees a chance for diplomacy to reverse a coup in Niger. Military chiefs from ECOWAS will meet in Ghana this week to discuss possible intervention in Niger. ‘ECOWAS following sanctions to the letter’  President Tinubu said ECOWAS was working to keep the sanctions in place. The president said this yesterday when he received the Special Envoy of President Ali Bongo Ondimba and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gabon, Mr. Hermann Immongault, at the State House, Abuja. He praised the solidarity of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on the political impasse in the Republic of Niger. The military chiefs from the West African bloc ECOWAS will meet in Ghana’s capital Accra this week to discuss a possible intervention in Niger, a spokesperson for the regional group has confirmed.