Reported by Quest FMTV News
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on West African leaders to urgently activate the ECOWAS Standby Force, describing it as a vital instrument in the fight against terrorism and insecurity in the region. Speaking at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday, Tinubu stressed the need for collective regional action against escalating security threats.
Addressing the summit in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairman, shortly before handing over leadership to President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Tinubu warned that no single country in the region could successfully confront the growing menace of terrorism on its own.
“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,” he told fellow leaders.
The Nigerian president expressed concern over the slow progress in making the force a functional entity, noting that despite being conceptualised to draw troops from all 15 ECOWAS member states, its implementation had dragged for too long. “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,” he said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s continued commitment to regional peace and integration, Tinubu said collaboration and unity were critical to overcoming terrorism and other external threats. “We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will and prioritise a collective approach to security,” he urged.
He also announced a key milestone achieved under his leadership — the completion of the ECOWAS military logistics depot in Lungi, 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,” Tinubu said.
The urgency of his call comes amid a surge in terrorist attacks across the region, including recent incidents in Benin and Nigeria. Extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and ISWAP have exploited growing political divisions within ECOWAS, especially following the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the 15-member bloc earlier this year.
The departure of these three countries has further complicated joint security efforts. In March, Niger withdrew from a regional task force it shared with Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, hampering coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing in the Lake Chad basin.
According to the Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel region has become the global epicentre of extremist violence, accounting for half of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024. The withdrawal of key ECOWAS members and fractured cooperation have raised concerns about the region’s capacity to respond effectively to growing security challenges.
Despite these setbacks, the remaining 12 ECOWAS member states — including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and others — continue to express commitment to strengthening regional security frameworks. President Tinubu’s parting message as ECOWAS chair was clear: time is of the essence, and decisive action is needed to safeguard the future of West Africa.