The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has lauded Nigeria’s leadership in West Africa, saying the country is on course to become one of the world’s top five economies by 2100.

Touray delivered the remarks at the official launch of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) by the Nigeria Immigration Service on Friday in Abuja. He commended Nigeria’s economic reforms and the Tinubu administration’s renewed leadership in the region, particularly its role in supporting peace and stability during crises, including in Guinea-Bissau.

“Despite the security problems and loss of lives caused by terrorism, Nigeria is still committed to securing the region,” Touray said, noting that ECOWAS troops are collaborating with local leaders to prevent conflict and stabilize Guinea-Bissau.

He described Nigeria as a source of strength for other West African countries, uniting the region amid global economic and security challenges. Touray also praised the Tinubu administration for modernising the country’s identity system through the ENBIC card, calling it a tool to facilitate travel, boost tourism, attract investors, improve trade, and enhance regional integration.

“The card is an important tool to fight cross-border crime, irregular migration, and document fraud,” he added.

Touray thanked the European Union and other international partners for supporting the identity card project and broader ECOWAS programmes. The Chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Dimanche Sharon, also described the launch as a “strategic step” toward safer movement and better identity verification across the region.

With Nigeria’s adoption of ENBIC, it becomes the seventh ECOWAS member state to implement the system, 11 years after the project was first planned. Officials credited the successful launch to President Tinubu’s focus on leadership and results.