The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for stronger regional security cooperation among ECOWAS member states to tackle emerging threats.
Shaibu made the call on Wednesday, when the Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brig.-Gen. Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters, Abuja.
This is contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The COAS said the complex and transnational nature of contemporary security threats required greater collaboration among countries in the West African subregion.
He identified terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and other cross-border threats as challenges that could not be effectively addressed by individual countries acting in isolation.
Shaibu urged military leaders in the region to leverage their collective expertise, operational experience and knowledge of the security environment to develop practical responses to emerging threats.
He also stressed the need for stronger military-to-military cooperation through regular dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises.
The COAS said continuous review and harmonisation of military doctrines would improve interoperability, operational readiness and the ability of regional forces to respond collectively to security challenges.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s regional security obligations and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.
Shaibu said an effective regional security framework remained critical to safeguarding peace, protecting populations and creating an enabling environment for sustainable development in West Africa.
Earlier, Massaquoi thanked the Nigerian Army for the warm reception and acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to peacekeeping, regional security and defence cooperation in West Africa.
He called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force into a more proactive, interoperable and responsive regional security capability.
Massaquoi identified updated military doctrines, enhanced joint training and exercises, and stronger defence partnerships among member states as critical to achieving the objective.
He solicited Nigeria’s continued support to enhance the operational effectiveness of the ECOWAS Standby Force and its capacity to discharge its mandate in support of collective security, peace and stability across the subregion. (NAN)
