President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed concern over the delayed operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, calling on West African leaders to urgently move from concept to action in the regional fight against terrorism and transnational crimes.
Tinubu made the call on Sunday during his opening address at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja.
The summit marks one of his final duties as chairman of the 15-nation regional bloc.
“The ECOWAS Standby Force must move from concept to operational reality. I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation, which is taking longer than desired,” Tinubu said, stressing the need to respond decisively to rising security threats in the region.
Need for collaboration
He warned that terrorist groups and organised criminal networks operating across West Africa do not recognise borders, making regional collaboration a necessity rather than a choice.
“No single nation can, therefore, address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will, and prioritise a collective approach to secure it,” he said.
- During his two-year chairmanship of ECOWAS, Tinubu championed several security and diplomatic initiatives, including the completion of the ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone.
- The facility is expected to play a critical role in supplying logistics and equipment for regional military operations.
“Last February in Addis Ababa, Nigeria signed the Sixth Agreement with the African Union. With the depot’s completion, Nigeria is committing itself to sea-lift and air-lift arrangements with ECOWAS,” Tinubu added.
Political instability
On political instability within the region, the President reaffirmed his commitment to restoring dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three member states currently suspended from ECOWAS following military coups.
“Under my chairmanship, I deployed all diplomatic means to engage and dialogue with our brothers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. I am confident that before too long, they may return to the family,” he said.
Beyond security, Tinubu also pushed for deeper regional integration through economic cooperation.
He called for the removal of trade barriers and improved support for private-sector-led growth, noting that intra-regional trade in West Africa remains significantly low.
“Our intra-regional trade remains low, even as we possess the potential to be an economic powerhouse. We must create the enabling environment, empower the private sector, and create the conditions necessary for innovation to flourish,” he said.
- He further urged the speedy implementation of key infrastructure projects such as the West African Gas Pipeline, West African Power Pool, and the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway, describing them as catalysts for regional development and integration.
- Tinubu’s remarks came at a critical time for the 50-year-old bloc, as it grapples with overlapping security, political, and economic challenges threatening stability and cohesion in the region.
- Nairametrics earlier reported that President Tinubu on Sunday handed over the Chairmanship of ECOWAS to the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, after completing his two-term leadership of the bloc.
