President Bola Tinubu has voiced concern over the sluggish pace of activating the ECOWAS Standby Force, issuing a strong call to West African leaders for decisive action to transition from planning to concrete implementation in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime.
This urgency was highlighted in a Sunday statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement indicated that during the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday, President Tinubu emphasized the critical need for the regional body to address escalating security threats across the sub-region.
“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,” the President stated, in what marked one of his final acts as ECOWAS chairman.
He issued a stern warning that insecurity within West Africa is increasingly being fueled by cross-border criminal networks. “The threats confronting us are transnational, driven by agile and dangerous networks that respect nobody’s border,” Tinubu cautioned. He further stressed the necessity of a unified front, adding, “No single nation can, therefore, address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will, and prioritise a collective approach to secure it.”
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During his tenure as chairman of the regional bloc, the President also highlighted several key achievements, including the successful completion of the ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone. “With the depot’s completion, Nigeria is committing itself to sea-lift and air-lift arrangements with ECOWAS,” he said, noting that Nigeria recently signed the Sixth Agreement with the African Union in Addis Ababa to bolster regional cooperation.
On the front of diplomacy and unity within the bloc, Tinubu expressed optimism regarding the potential return of suspended member states, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, to the fold. “Under my chairmanship, I deployed all diplomatic means to engage and dialogue with our brothers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. I am confident that before too long, they may return to the family,” he stated.
The Nigerian leader also advocated for deeper economic integration across the region, urging the empowerment of the private sector and the removal of existing trade barriers. “Our intra-regional trade remains low, even as we possess the potential to be an economic powerhouse,” Tinubu observed. He continued, “We must create the enabling environment, empower the private sector, and create the conditions necessary for innovation to flourish.”
Furthermore, he called for the swift execution of critical regional infrastructure projects, specifically mentioning the West African Gas Pipeline, the West African Power Pool, and the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway, describing them as “catalysts for development and integration.”
The session marked the official conclusion of President Tinubu’s tenure as chairman of the 15-member West African bloc.
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