COAS Seeks Stronger ECOWAS Security Cooperation Against Emerging Threats

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for deeper regional security cooperation and stronger defence partnerships among ECOWAS member states to tackle emerging security threats across West Africa.

Shaibu made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement by the Army spokesperson, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS said the increasingly complex and transnational nature of contemporary security threats required greater cooperation among countries in the region.

He identified terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and other cross-border threats as challenges that could not be effectively tackled by individual countries acting in isolation.

Shaibu urged military leaders across the region to leverage their collective expertise, operational experience and understanding of the security environment to develop practical responses to emerging threats.

He said stronger regional cooperation would also enable military authorities to provide informed and actionable professional advice to political leaders in support of peace and stability.

The COAS further called for sustained military-to-military cooperation through regular dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises, as well as continuous review and harmonisation of military doctrines.

According to him, such measures would improve interoperability, operational readiness and the capacity of regional forces to coordinate responses to security threats.

Shaibu reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s regional security obligations and assured the delegation of continued support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.

He said an effective regional security framework was critical to protecting populations, safeguarding peace and creating the stability required for sustainable development across West Africa.

Earlier, Massaquoi acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to peacekeeping, regional security and defence cooperation in West Africa.

He called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force into a more proactive, interoperable and responsive regional security capability capable of confronting evolving threats.

Massaquoi identified updated military doctrines, enhanced joint training and exercises, and stronger defence partnerships among member states as essential to achieving the objective.

He also sought Nigeria’s continued support for efforts to improve the operational effectiveness of the ECOWAS Standby Force and strengthen its capacity to fulfil its mandate of supporting collective security, peace and stability across the subregion.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu (Right) and Brigadier General Sheik Massaquoi of the ECOWAS Standby Force (Left) at Army Headquarters, Abuja.