The Head of European Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador Gautier Mignot has asked the West African regional bloc to learn from Brexit by evolving a new way of managing its relationship with the departing member countries, the Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel) AES-Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Mignot, while disclosing that the EU was not in support of ECOWAS splitting, insisted that regionalism was the path to prosperity and stability.
The envoy gave the suggestion in Abuja on Monday during a media parley.
The envoy who described the decision by the three countries as regrettable, said: “It is a decision that we regret, because we support very much West African integration. We ourselves probably the most autonomous model of regional integration in the world, and we think that this is a path to prosperity, to unity, to stability in all regions of the world, and especially in West Africa. So splitting doesn’t seem to us a good idea.”
Mignot noting that it was not up to the EU to tell ECOWAS how to handle the situation, said the EU would readily avail itself by sharing its experience of how it went about the exit of the United Kingdom.
He said: “And of course, as in other issues, if we can get any help, we would be happy to share our experience, our expertise with ECOWAS. Indeed, we had the experience of a former member state which decided to exit the European Union. And how did we manage to have a possible smooth exit ? It was through negotiation and dialogue.
“It was not easy. It took some time, but finally we reached an agreement with the United Kingdom, an agreement on the modalities of the exit and an agreement on our new relationship with them. And now we have constant dialogue on also adjusting this new agreement and trying to see how to make our new relationship more efficient.
“So, you know, even if you leave regional integration mobilisation, geographically you remain neighbours and you have to find new ways of coexisting and cooperating.
“So we hope very much that ECOWAS and the European Union will be able to do that also.”
On the EU engagement with the three allied countries belonging to the AES, the envoy said, “First, we have to remind that the EU has maintained its humanitarian aid in these countries. And we have adapted our development cooperation, focussing on support to the population.
“Because we are concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in the Sahel, the number of displaced people, refugees, and people in need of assistance, which is reaching unprecedented levels. And there is ongoing work in Brussels towards a renewed approach in the Sahel, for which, of course, dialogue and exchanges with partners in the region.”
The envoy, who only last week submitted his letter of credence to President Bola Tinubu, said he started dreaming of working in Nigeria during his first visit to the country ten years ago.
The envoy who was a former EU ambassador to Mexico, said: “I came here to Nigeria 10 years ago on a one-week mission to Abuja and Lagos, and I found it to be a fascinating country. I always thought how great it would be to come and work here in this country one day and this dream finally has come true.
“ So I’m very happy with that. I arrived here in Nigeria at the beginning of September, taking over from Ambassador Samuel Aissopi.I know you knew her very well. She was a very active ambassador. And again, I’m extremely happy to be here in Nigeria, the number one nation in Africa and a key player in the world.
“I already had the opportunity to discover some parts of the country, apart from the Federal capital, Lagos of course, but also the city, Calabar, and more recently Borno and the Adamawa states. And also, I discovered a bit of the Nigerian tribal culture, since the Calabar carnival last year.”
On his plan in Nigeria, he said he is here to improve EU-Nigeria partnership to positively impact on the people.
He stressed that the EU remains a constant and faithful and trusted partner that Nigeria can count on.
He said: “My mission is to bring the EU-Nigeria partnership to a higher level, with one goal: positively impact the Nigerian population. As I told the President, in uncertain times and in a fast-evolving, you need a constant and faithful partner on whom you know you can count: the EU is one for Nigeria.
“In turn we see Nigeria as a key partner and a major player in Africa and the world. New leaders are very much interested in Nigeria.
He also spoke about new initiatives that the EU wants to exploit in Nigeria, which include a better structured economic relation and dialogue to address and remove the issues that hamper more investment and trade, noting hat currently no agreement or dialogue framework between EU and Nigeria.
He however said the EU , through the Global Gateway investment agenda, will be focusing more on creating jobs and opportunities, especially for young people in Nigeria, building on Nigeria’s great sense of entrepreneurship, sectors like green economy, digital, agri-food and health: this is actually already an ongoing work.”
He also added that special attention would be paid to the North of the country where there are specific needs.
