Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s ECOWAS exit created regional crisis, Tinubu aide says

The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States created “a major regional crisis,” according to Sunday Dare, a special adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

Dare made the remarks at a policy colloquium organised by Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence in Abuja. He said the rupture weakened ECOWAS protocols designed to promote regional integration and the free movement of goods and services.

“It eventually led to the creation of AES, another counter-regional body to ECOWAS. But it also challenged the other instruments and protocols that we have for regional cooperation,” Dare said. The Alliance of Sahel States, also known as the Confederation of Sahel States, brings together Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in a political and economic union.

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The rupture that came in 2025 when the countries pulled out of ECOWAS created a major regional crisis. That pullout from ECOWAS simply blunted the ECOWAS protocol that promoted integration, free movement of goods and services.

The three military-led governments formally left ECOWAS in January 2025, after announcing their intention to withdraw in 2024. They cited what they described as the bloc’s failure to support them against jihadist insurgencies and its perceived alignment with former colonial power France.

Defence Minister Christopher Musa, who also addressed the colloquium, said the Tinubu administration was prioritising national security to safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty, preserve democratic institutions and support national development.

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It eventually led to the creation of AES, another counter-regional body to ECOWAS. But it also challenged the other instruments and protocols that we have for regional cooperation.