Africa
Nigeriens celebrate exit from ECOWAS but how does it solve their problems?
By Mohammed Babangida, Premium Times, 30/1/24
Feb 3, 2024 - 2:52:11 PM

Analysts see the three countries' decision as an unwise one.

A few hours after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday, Nigeriens poured out into the streets of Niamey to celebrate “freedom” from ECOWAS and the West.
BBC Hausa reported that several residents of the Niger Republic capital were in a celebratory mood over the decision.

The regional bloc had imposed sanctions on the three countries but more recently in Niger, where soldiers toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, considered to be a strong pillar in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel. The sanctions have crippled Niger’s economy and affected basic services like electricity, a lot of which was procured from Nigeria.

ECOWAS Heads of Government Pic by ECOWAS