Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Eghosa Osaghae, has raised fears over the continued existence or unity of ECOWAS.

Speaking, yesterday, at the ‘Strategic Roundtable on Evolving Developments in ECOWAS and the Sahel’, he said though the world was occupied with what was happening in America; in West Africa there was a great deal of concern over developments, such as the exit of three countries, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, recently, from the bloc and the protracted futile efforts to get them back.

He emphasised that ECOWAS was not founded on sentiments and emotions, but that it was formed to be a strategic association to benefit member states.

According to him, there is a possibility that some countries in ECOWAS will join Association of Sahel States, like Togo.

“Togo, together with Nigeria, founded ECOWAS. So, Togo is pivotal to the bloc as Nigeria is. If Togo, a francophone country didn’t agree with Nigeria, there would have been no ECOWAS. So if Togo is said to be planning an exit, then we must take it seriously,” he said.