ECOWAS: 35TH SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002518

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV ECOWAS NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: 35TH SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE

Classified By: Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders for reasons 1.4. (b & d).


1. (U) SUMMARY: On December 19, the ECOWAS 35th Ordinary
Summit of Heads of State and Government met in Abuja. The
one-day summit capped off a week of ministerial-level
discussions that primarily focused on limiting the effects of
the global economic crisis on the region, encouraging
infrastructure development, and improving energy generation
and delivery to member states. Pronouncements were also made
on the need to improve regional food security and combat the
growing instability brought about by increased trafficking
and domestic consumption of narcotics. Finally, in a move
that surprised observers, Nigeria was given the chairmanship
of the Heads of State Authority for 2009, following what is
largely regarded as a productive and energetic 2008
performance by Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore.
Ambassador's understanding is that Nigeria received the
chairmanship by default due to issues surrounding Gambia,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone. All this could act in Nigerian
Foreign Minister Maduekwe's favor: having to act as defacto
ECOWAS Chair for a year for an ailing President Yar'Adua is
just one of the many ways he will try to secure his
ministerial position, after almost being pushed out in the
recent round of candidates. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) On December 19, the ECOWAS 35th Ordinary Summit of
Heads of State and Government convened in Abuja for a one-day
meeting to discuss pressing regional issues. Taking up the
themes discussed on a ministerial level in the preceding
days, the Summit ended with Heads of State calling for
progress on a number of pressing regional issues, beginning
with efforts to limit the effects of the global economic
crisis on member states. Recent years have seen strong
regional economic growth and an increase in foreign direct
investment; however, ECOWAS leaders worry that the financial
crisis threatens to both reduce growth and exacerbate
existing problems. They concluded that the best remedy for
the world's current economic woes is "improved global
economic governance" and greater African participation in
efforts to find solutions.


3. (U) Other matters addressed during the one-day summit
included the region's pressing need for massive investment to
improve infrastructure, the lack of food security, and the
lack of reliable energy supply. Heads of State endorsed the
establishment of an ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory
Authority to be based in Accra, and also the creation of a
Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to
be located in Praia. They expressed the hope that these two
new agencies could increase electricity trading among member
states, while making power supply to West African consumers
more affordable and constant. Finally, a last major
pronouncement addressed both the trafficking and consumption
of narcotics, as a factor in the call for support for a
five-year strategic plan for the West African Health
Organization to improve overall regional health care (no
further details were offered about the plan).


4. (C) In a move that many observers did not expect, the
Heads of State elected Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
as chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and
Government, a one-year position that is supposed to provide
leadership in facing urgent matters that arise throughout the
year. While Nigeria provides an estimated 60 per cent of
ECOWAS' annual budget (and in some years past nearly the
entire budget when other member states had defaulted),it
generally keeps a low public profile in the Commission,
preferring to exert pressure behind the scenes in an attempt
to avoid being seen as the regional hegemon. This move,
coming on the heels of the Nigerian Supreme Court's
affirmation of his seriously flawed 2007 election, is
especially surprising considering the moribund leadership
Yar'Adua has provided his own country in the past 18 months.


5. (C) COMMENT: Ambassador's understanding of the
behind-the-scenes activities leading up to the GON leadership
is that Gambia was deemed unacceptable by Niger due to a 50
year old feud, in which Nigerians have been killed in Gambia.
Others in the group had problems with Liberia's and/or
Sierra Leone's leaders becoming chairman, so Nigeria ended up

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the default candidate. In addition, Foreign Minister
Maduekwe is looking for ways to secure his ministerial
position, as he was nearly forced out of this round of
Yar'Adua's ministerial candidates. Having to act as defacto
Chair of ECOWAS for a year for his ailing President is one
way to do this.


6. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: ECOWAS could perhaps best serve
West Africa by looking inward: one of the ECOWAS' most
glaring needs is internal reform, particularly in the areas
of budgeting and execution of plans and programs. During the
November 2008 Donors Meeting, it was revealed that for the
past four years ECOWAS has only spent 60 per cent of the
money available to it via its own budget and donor grants.
With the 2008 budget reportedly being $210 million, the
unspent cash could amount to several hundred million dollars,
enough to make a huge dent in any number of urgent regional
needs. ECOWAS' poor budget execution is made worse by
international partners' tendency to throw money at it in
spasms of uncoordinated giving; the European Union alone is
donating 500 million euros over the next five years, and even
the Chinese bellied up to the bar on December 15 with
$100,000. Combined with what will likely be a lackluster
year of leadership coming from President Yar'Adua, Post
predicts that 2009 will see an ECOWAS long on communiques,
conferences, and calls for more money from international
donors, and short on progress in tackling the energy,
infrastructure, and security issues that plague the lives of
ordinary West Africans. That being said, the Nigerian
Foreign Minister is savvy, appreciates the role of Nigeria in
the region, and is pro-U.S. We will try to take advantage of
all these things to get ECOWAS and Nigeria to do more in the
region. END COMMENT.


7. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
Sanders