Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Sunday urged West African leaders to collaborate in establishing and maintaining a regional standby force to address the escalating security threats in the region.
Speaking at the opening of the 65th ordinary session of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Tinubu, who was unanimously re-elected as chairman of the economic bloc, underscored the practicality of such a force. He called on member states to commit more resources to ensure the security of the region.
“The Regional Action Plan against terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) to boost counterterrorism efforts,” Tinubu stated. “Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness.”
Tinubu emphasised that a peaceful and secure society was crucial for realising ECOWAS’s potential. He noted that the operationalisation of the ESF in combating terrorism would require not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.
He also highlighted the significant challenges faced by the economic community, including terrorist activities and violent extremism threatening to spread from the Sahel region to the coastal states. “The political landscape remains fragile in some member states, especially those that witnessed unconstitutional changes of government,” Tinubu warned.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government rotates its chairmanship annually. Tinubu was first elected as chairman at the 63rd ordinary session of the regional bloc held in July 2023 in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. His one-year tenure was initially set to end on 9 July.
The 65th ordinary session of ECOWAS, held in Abuja, aimed to address these pressing security concerns and further solidify regional cooperation in the face of growing threats.
