President Bola Tinubu has reiterated the need to establish an ECOWAS standby force to counter the growing tide of insecurity in the region.

Speaking at the at the 67th ECOWAS Authority’s Ordinary Session in Abuja, one of his last acts as chairman of the 50-year-old regional economic bloc, Tinubu expressed worries over delays in activating ECOWAS Standby Force, warning that the region will continue to be the hotspot of terrorists attack if leaders do nothing to stop it.

He called for a collective fight against terrorism and transnational crimes, emphasising the urgency of operationalising the force in the face of escalating insecurity across the sub-region.

Tinubu revealed that the completed ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone, will play a critical role in providing equipment and other logistics to forces deployed by ECOWAS.

He said, “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 noted that threats confronting the region are transnational, “driven by agile and dangerous networks that respect nobody’s border.”
“No single nation can, therefore, address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will, and prioritise a collective approach to secure it,” he added.

“Last February in Addis Ababa, Nigeria signed the Sixth Agreement with the African Union. With the depot’s completion, Nigeria is committing itself to sea-lift and air-lift arrangements with ECOWAS,” he said.

President Tinubu expressed hope that diplomatic engagements with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger will lead to their return to the community.

“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 said.