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ABUJA | Xinhua | Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu on Sunday called on West African leaders to work together to establish and sustain a regional standby force in the face of the growing security threats in the region.
Speaking during the opening of the 65th ordinary session of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Tinubu, who was unanimously reelected as the chairman of the economic bloc Sunday, highlighted the practicality of a standby force, urging member states to commit more to providing the needed resources for securing the region.
“The Regional Action Plan against terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition, the Ministers of Finance and Defense met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) to boost counterterrorism efforts,” he said. “Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defense budgets to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness.”
The Nigerian president said a peaceful and secure society was essential for achieving ECOWAS potential, noting the move to operationalize the ESF in combating terrorism and its success required not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.
The challenges in the economic community remained “enormous,” including terrorist activities and violent extremism threatening to spread from the Sahel region toward the coastal states, Tinubu warned.
“The political landscape remains fragile in some member states, especially those that witnessed unconstitutional changes of government,” he added.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government rotates its chairmanship annually. Tinubu was first elected as the chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the 63rd ordinary session of the regional bloc held in July 2023 in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. The one-year tenure was to end on July 9. ■
