Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said that it is important to prioritize negotiation and dialogue as the basis of the approach to Niger.
"It is crucial that we prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach," said Tinubu, chairing the emergency summit.
The president added that all avenues of engagement must be exhausted to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance.
Apart from that, Tinubu said that ECOWAS continues to support and express solidarity with ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum.
"We voiced our solidarity with the people of Niger and their democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, by condemning the military takeover and the unjust detention of their democratically elected president," Nigeria's leader noted.
Tinubu's remarks came during his speech at the ECOWAS summit, which was convened amid Niger's refusal to comply with an ECOWAS ultimatum that the community demand that the rebels release Bazoum by August 7, threatening, among other things, to use force.
ECOWAS had earlier announced that it was suspending financial assistance to Niger, as well as imposing a travel ban and asset freeze on the mutineers, their family members and all persons agreeing to "participate in the institutions" created by the mutinous military.
The coup leadership also closed its borders and suspended trade and financial transactions between the community countries and Niger.
Niger's military announced on national television in late July that President Bazoum had been removed from power. ECOWAS and most leaders condemned the coup.