ECOWAS launches two hundred and sixty thousand–member counter-terrorism force to strengthen regional security.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced plans to activate a 260,000-member rapid deployment counter-terrorism brigade to confront rising insecurity across West Africa and the Sahel.
The initiative, unveiled at the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja, will target terrorism, organised crime, and piracy—threats that continue to destabilise the region.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, said the bloc is finalising a $2.5 billion annual budget to sustain the force, with Ministers of Finance and Defence from member states scheduled to meet in Abuja on Friday to agree on funding modalities.
“The activation of this rapid deployment force has become a necessity given the asymmetric security dynamics in the region,” Musah stated, adding that the unit will complement existing African Peace and Security Architecture frameworks.
He further called on bilateral and multilateral partners for support, while urging the United Nations to honour its commitment under UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) to finance 75 percent of African-led peace operations.
Broader Security Agenda
Beyond the counter-terrorism plan, ECOWAS outlined moves to strengthen maritime security through three integrated regional centres and a new international coordinating hub in Abuja. It also pledged tougher action against transnational organised crime while warning of the dangers of renewed proxy wars and geopolitical rivalries in West Africa.
Declaring the summit open, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, called for a permanent African Chiefs of Defence Staff Forum to institutionalise unity and coordinated responses to continental security challenges.
“None of these tragedies respect borders, and neither should our response,” Shettima said. “This is the moment to forge a new doctrine of continental defence, rooted in trust, shared intelligence, and coordinated strategy.”
Shettima urged African states to invest in cyber defence, artificial intelligence, and indigenous military technology, stressing that Africa must not remain “merely a consumer of technology” but become creators and innovators.
Military Calls for Ownership of Africa’s Security
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, echoed the call for African-led security solutions, warning that threats are increasingly digital, asymmetric, and unconventional.
“The threats of today are no longer confined to conventional warfare; they are digital, asymmetric and often invisible. The enemy is within,” Musa cautioned.
He urged investment in an indigenous African defence industrial base, while paying tribute to fallen soldiers whose sacrifices, he said, must inspire the building of accountable institutions.
The Abuja summit, attended by defence chiefs, diplomats, and security experts from across Africa, reinforced Nigeria’s leadership in driving regional stability, counter-terrorism cooperation, and peacekeeping initiatives.
In its closing remarks, ECOWAS commended Nigeria and General Musa for hosting the gathering and urged participants to deliver “concrete, practical, and innovative recommendations” to strengthen Africa’s collective security architecture.
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