Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for deeper security cooperation and stronger defence partnerships among Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries to address increasingly complex security threats across the subregion.
Shaibu made the call on Wednesday when the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brig. Gen. Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The COAS said the interconnected and transnational nature of contemporary security threats required countries in West Africa to strengthen collective responses rather than rely solely on national efforts.
He identified terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and other cross border threats as challenges that could not be effectively addressed by individual countries acting in isolation.
Shaibu urged military leaders across the region to draw on their combined professional expertise, operational experience and understanding of the regional security environment to develop practical strategies for confronting emerging threats.
He also called for sustained military to military engagement through regular dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises, as well as the continuous review and harmonisation of military doctrines.
According to him, stronger cooperation would improve interoperability and operational readiness while enabling regional forces to plan, coordinate and respond more effectively to security challenges.
The Army chief reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s regional security obligations and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.
He said an effective regional security framework was important to protecting populations, sustaining peace and creating the stability required for development across West Africa.
Earlier, Massaquoi acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contribution to peacekeeping and regional security and called for the ECOWAS Standby Force to become more proactive, interoperable and responsive to evolving threats.
He identified updated military doctrines, enhanced joint exercises and stronger defence partnerships among member states as key measures for improving the force’s operational effectiveness.
Massaquoi also sought Nigeria’s continued support for efforts to strengthen the Standby Force and its capacity to fulfil its mandate of supporting collective security, peace and stability across the subregion.
The call comes amid persistent security challenges across parts of West Africa, where militant violence, organised crime and other cross border threats continue to affect communities and place pressure on national security institutions.
For ECOWAS, strengthening information sharing, interoperability and coordinated military preparedness could improve the region’s capacity to respond to threats that extend beyond national borders. The effectiveness of such cooperation will depend on sustained political commitment, operational coordination and the ability of member states to maintain common security mechanisms.
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