Nigeria’s Special Envoy Delivers Presidential Invite to Togo Ahead of WAES 2025.

By Raymond Enoch.

In a strategic diplomatic engagement ahead of the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, Nigeria’s Special Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, paid a high-level visit to the Togolese capital to deliver a formal invitation to President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.

Received at the Presidential Palace in Lomé, the Nigerian delegation—comprising Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs to the President, and Ambassador Innocent Iwejuo, Director in the office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs—conveyed a personal message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inviting President Gnassingbé to attend the inaugural WAES, set to be held in Abuja, Nigeria, from June 20–21, 2025.

The visit forms part of Nigeria’s broader diplomatic outreach to galvanize regional participation in the summit, which is poised to become a pivotal platform for economic integration and cooperative development across West Africa.

During the meeting, President Gnassingbé commended President Tinubu’s initiative, describing WAES 2025 as a timely response to the region’s evolving challenges. He stressed the importance of strengthening regional frameworks in trade, economic partnerships, and security cooperation, while also spotlighting youth empowerment and sustainable development as urgent priorities for collective action.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that the visit reflects Nigeria’s commitment to fostering inclusive dialogue and shared prosperity through high-level engagement with key regional partners.

“The participation of visionary leaders such as President Gnassingbé is central to the success of WAES 2025 and the realization of a more united, resilient, and forward-looking West Africa,” she stated.

The summit is expected to draw heads of state, policymakers, private sector leaders, and development partners in a concerted push to accelerate economic transformation across the subregion.