Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, will be joining five other governors on a trip to the Republic of Benin. The governors include Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State, Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, and Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State. They have been invited by President Bola Tinubu to attend the 63rd independence anniversary of Benin.
Tinubu, who is also the chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will be the special guest of President Patrice Talon at the ceremony. The visit will take place on August 1, 2023.
The meeting between Tinubu and Talon was first initiated on the sidelines of the summit on New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France. They also met at the 63rd Ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Guinea-Bissau. More recently, they met at the State House in Abuja along with leaders from three other West African nations. It was during this meeting that President Talon extended an invitation to Tinubu for the anniversary celebration.
During their discussions, Tinubu emphasized the need to review and strengthen cultural, trade, and economic relations between Nigeria and Benin. He highlighted the importance of joint border patrols by the Customs and harmonizing regulations on the frontlines.