By Kazeem Waris
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for stronger military cooperation with Nigeria to tackle growing cross-border security threats and strengthen peace and stability across the West African sub-region.
The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Anthony Oluwatosin Ogunjimi, made the call on Thursday, November 12, 2026, during a familiarisation visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, where he was received by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
Ogunjimi commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their longstanding contributions to regional peacekeeping, conflict resolution and security operations, describing Nigeria’s role as critical to the stability and integration of the West African region.
He particularly acknowledged Nigeria’s contributions to peace support and stabilisation efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
According to him, Nigeria’s commitment to collective security remains a major pillar of ECOWAS efforts to promote regional integration and address security challenges confronting member states.
He also praised the leadership of the Defence Headquarters for its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity while supporting broader regional security objectives.
The ECOWAS official expressed the Commission’s readiness to deepen its institutional relationship with the Nigerian military, particularly in security cooperation, strategic engagement and joint initiatives to address emerging threats across the sub-region.
He stressed the need for stronger military partnerships and closer collaboration between ECOWAS and Nigeria to improve the region’s collective response to insecurity.
Responding, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Oluyede, underscored the importance of sustained military partnerships and collective responsibility in confronting the complex security challenges facing West Africa.
He said regional security could only be strengthened through cooperation, mutual trust and a shared commitment among member states.
Oluyede urged countries within the ECOWAS community to deepen military-to-military relationships, strengthen intelligence sharing and improve operational coordination to tackle threats that transcend national boundaries.
He noted that the nature of security challenges across the sub-region required countries to move beyond individual national responses and adopt coordinated strategies capable of addressing common threats.
The CDS reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to supporting regional peace, stability and security in line with the country’s foreign policy objectives and longstanding commitment to collective security.
The visit, according to the Defence Headquarters, further strengthened the existing strategic relationship between the ECOWAS Commission and Nigeria’s military leadership, while providing an opportunity to explore areas of closer institutional and operational cooperation.
