ABUJA, Nigeria, October 13, 2026 — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Nigerian Army have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional security cooperation, joint military training, intelligence sharing and operational readiness to address growing security threats across West Africa.
The commitment followed a courtesy visit by the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Massaquoi, to Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, at the Nigerian Army Headquarters in Abuja recently.
Massaquoi was accompanied by the Commander of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi, Navy Captain Idenyi Jude Akpa, and officers from the ECOWAS Standby Force and the ECOWAS Commission’s Peace Support Operations Division.
According to an ECOWAS statement, the meeting focused on strengthening military cooperation, interoperability, training, logistics support and the operational capacity of the regional standby force.
During the engagement, Brigadier General Massaquoi conveyed greetings from the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
He commended Nigeria for its longstanding contributions to peacekeeping and regional security, emphasizing the need to develop a more proactive and responsive ECOWAS Standby Force capable of addressing emerging threats.
Massaquoi called for updated military doctrines, expanded joint training exercises, improved intelligence sharing and stronger defence partnerships among ECOWAS member states.
He also sought continued Nigerian military support to enhance the Standby Force’s operational effectiveness and preparedness to respond to regional security challenges.
Meanwhile, Navy Captain Akpa stressed the importance of strengthening the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi to support troop deployment, operational sustainability and other logistical requirements.
He said effective logistics remained critical to maintaining the readiness of the regional force and called for continued cooperation to improve its capabilities.
Responding, Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasized the need for collective regional action against terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organized crime and other cross-border security threats.
He said addressing these challenges requires stronger military partnerships, regular consultations, intelligence sharing, joint training and greater interoperability among regional armed forces.
The Nigerian Army Chief reaffirmed his country’s commitment to regional security obligations and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.
He emphasized that sustained military cooperation, harmonized operational doctrines and improved readiness were essential to building an effective regional security framework.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to closer defence cooperation and the development of a more responsive regional security system capable of promoting peace, stability and sustainable development across West Africa. -Press Release
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