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West African military Chiefs have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional security cooperation in the region.
The reaffirmation was made when they converged in Abuja on Tuesday for the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff.
The summit focused on pressing security challenges, including terrorism, organised crime, and maritime threats, with an emphasis on enhancing cross-border collaboration and operational coordination.
In his opening address, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa underscored the importance of collective action in securing the region.
He noted that without a safe and stable environment, economic growth and development would remain out of reach for West African nations.
He commended ECOWAS leaders for establishing this platform, which enables member states to tackle shared threats through coordinated strategies and intelligence-sharing.
Discussions at the meeting revolved around critical security matters, such as reviewing pledges for the ECOWAS Standby Force, the proposed formation of a Counterterrorist Brigade, and improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Other key agenda items included the rotation of peace support operations personnel, the standardization of military equipment, and the development of a logistics concept for ECOWAS operations.
Musa stressed that addressing insecurity in the region requires not just military intervention but also tackling the root causes of instability, such as political unrest, economic hardship, and weak governance.
He urged participants to engage in productive deliberations and develop actionable strategies that will reinforce the security framework of West Africa.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to honour the sacrifices of West African military personnel who have dedicated their lives to maintaining peace.
Musa expressed gratitude to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership, as well as to the ECOWAS Commission and other stakeholders for their support in fostering regional security cooperation.
Musa noted that ECOWAS military chiefs will outline concrete measures to enhance intelligence-sharing, improve rapid response mechanisms, and strengthen joint military operations.
The meeting was attended by Military Chiefs of all the ECOWAS member states, excluding Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea, which pulled out recently from the regional bloc.
The meeting was declared open by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
