Abuja, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep concern over the prolonged delay in activating the ECOWAS Standby Force, despite earlier commitments by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Speaking during the opening session of the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority in Abuja on Sunday—one of his final official engagements as chairman of the regional bloc—President Tinubu said the slow progress in operationalising the force is worrisome, especially amid escalating insecurity across West Africa.
“The ECOWAS Standby Force must move from concept to operational reality. I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation, which is taking longer than desired,” Tinubu stated.
He warned that the region faces growing threats from terrorism and transnational crime networks that transcend borders and cannot be tackled by individual nations acting alone.
“The threats confronting our region are transnational in nature, executed by dangerous and agile networks that do not respect national boundaries. No single country can address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify our political will, and pursue a collective approach to secure our region,” he urged.
President Tinubu also highlighted some key achievements under his tenure, including the completion of the ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone—a critical infrastructure project expected to support ECOWAS forces with equipment and logistical support.
He noted that Nigeria has formalised its commitment to regional security by signing the Sixth Agreement with the African Union in Addis Ababa earlier this year, adding that Nigeria will provide both sea-lift and air-lift logistics support for ECOWAS deployments.
The session marks the end of President Tinubu’s leadership of the 50-year-old regional economic bloc, as he hands over the chairmanship to another West African leader.
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