Abuja - Nigeria — Five Ambassadors on Friday, 22nd October 2010 presented their letters of credence in Abuja to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, as permanent representatives of their countries and organization to ECOWAS.

They are Ambassadors Mahamane Amadou Maiga of Mali, Kjell Lillerud of the Kingdom of Norway, Clifford Shimane Maribe of Botswana, Patrick Fay of Ireland and David MacRae of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria. In separate but brief ceremonies, Ambassador Gbeho expressed appreciation to the Governments of Mali, Norway, Ireland, Botswana as well as the authorities of the European Union (EU) for the appointments of the five ambassadors, which he said would both reinforce the cooperation between the countries and ECOWAS. He said the appointments of the Ambassadors would also further deepen the close ties between their respective peoples.

While assuring the Ambassadors of the cooperation of ECOWAS in making their various missions to Nigeria successful, Ambassador Gbeho expressed the hope that their appointments would encourage the development of initiatives and the realization of projects aimed at accelerating the pace of integration in West Africa, for the greater well-being of the peoples of the region. Botswana, is for the first time, appointing its Ambassador as a Permanent Representative to ECOWAS.