VZCZCXRO3678
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2518/01 3581627
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231627Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4796
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1589
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0574
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0503
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

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 
 
ABUJA 00002518  002 OF 002 
 
 
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