President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, June 22, called on West African leaders to urgently make the ECOWAS Standby Force operational in the fight against terrorism across the region.
Speaking at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, Tinubu, who currently chairs the bloc, said collective action was vital to counter security threats and restore stability in the sub-region.
“We must act decisively to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force on the fight against terrorism to serve as an instrument for peace and stability for our region,” Tinubu told the gathering of regional leaders.
The president emphasised that Nigeria remained committed to promoting peace, integration and economic development in West Africa but warned that no single country could address the growing threats of terrorism alone.
“No single nation can address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will and prioritise a collective approach to security,” he said.
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Tinubu also expressed concern about the delays in activating the force, which was initially envisioned as a joint military unit with personnel from all ECOWAS member states.
“This is why the ECOWAS Standby Force must move from the concept to operational reality now. I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation which is taking longer than desired,” Tinubu noted.
However, he announced some progress under his leadership, including the completion of the ECOWAS military logistics depot in Sierra Leone.
“I am pleased to note that under my authority, the ECOWAS military logistics depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone, has been completed. The depot will play a critical role in providing equipment or other logistics to forces deployed by ECOWAS,” he said.
Tinubu’s remarks come amid rising insecurity in several West African nations, with terrorism and coups threatening democratic governance and regional stability.