The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for stronger military cooperation among Economic Community of West African States member countries to help tackle terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime across the region.
Shaibu made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The Army Chief said the increasingly transnational nature of security threats in West Africa required countries to work more closely together rather than relying solely on individual national responses.
He called for regional militaries to share intelligence, operational experience and expertise in developing practical responses to emerging threats. He also identified military-to-military cooperation as an important part of improving the region’s collective security capacity.
According to Shaibu, stronger cooperation should include intelligence sharing, joint military training and exercises, regular dialogue and the harmonisation of military doctrines. He said these measures would help improve interoperability and operational readiness among regional forces.
The Army Chief reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s regional security responsibilities and said the military would continue supporting efforts aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.
The visit by the ECOWAS Standby Force delegation also focused attention on the role of regional military structures in responding to security threats that cross national borders. Such threats can include terrorism, violent extremism and organised criminal activity, which can operate across several countries and make isolated national responses more difficult.
Massaquoi commended Nigeria’s contributions to regional peacekeeping and security and called for continued support to make the ECOWAS Standby Force more proactive, interoperable and responsive. He also emphasised the importance of updated doctrines, joint exercises and stronger defence partnerships.
The call for greater military coordination comes against a wider regional security backdrop in which West African countries face persistent militant and criminal threats. Nigeria has also continued to pursue defence partnerships with countries and regional organisations to strengthen intelligence, training and operational capabilities.
Earlier in 2026, Nigeria and the United Kingdom agreed to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism, intelligence exchange, defence capability development and regional security. Nigeria has also strengthened bilateral defence cooperation with other African countries, including through arrangements focused on shared security challenges.
For ECOWAS, the effectiveness of deeper defence cooperation will depend on how effectively member states translate agreements and dialogue into practical coordination, intelligence exchange, compatible procedures and joint operational capabilities.
Shaibu’s latest remarks therefore represent a call for stronger regional coordination rather than the announcement of a new military pact. The emphasis is on building interoperability and improving the ability of West African forces to respond collectively to security threats that extend beyond individual national borders.
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