Strengthen ECOWAS Standby Force to Tackle Terrorism, Transnational Threats, Naval Chief Urges Subregional Leaders

Linus Aleke in Abuja 

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has urged political and military leaders in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen the ECOWAS Standby Force to ensure that it remains operationally ready and rapidly deployable against shared transnational threats, including terrorism, insurgency and other forms of organised cross-border crime.

He stressed that, as Africa’s security challenges become increasingly interconnected, no nation can confront them effectively in isolation.

Vice Admiral Abbas also called for stronger regional maritime cooperation, while urging more African militaries to participate in regional efforts to combat common security challenges.

The CNS made the call while receiving the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja.

Referencing the recently launched Combined Maritime Task Force–Gulf of Guinea (CMTF-GoG), Vice Admiral Abbas stressed that broader regional participation would strengthen collective capacity to respond to Africa’s security challenges.

“Accordingly, a coordinated regional response, anchored on shared intelligence, interoperable forces, joint operations, and sustained political commitment, represents the future of African security and the most effective means of protecting the continent’s people, resources, and development aspirations,” he said.

According to a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the CNS highlighted Nigeria’s growing contribution to regional security through practical maritime and strategic sealift support.

He recalled the recent movement of Chinese-donated ECOWAS equipment destined for frontline countries, including the Republic of Benin and Sierra Leone, describing it as an example of the importance of regional logistics and mobility in supporting collective security efforts.

He said the equipment, donated by China to ECOWAS, included non-lethal field-support items intended to strengthen operational and humanitarian capacity.

Vice Admiral Abbas also recalled the Nigerian Navy’s strategic sealift of military hardware to Guinea-Bissau in 2022, when NNS KADA transported equipment for the Nigerian contingent deployed under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission.

He said, “The deployment demonstrated Nigeria’s ability to sealift maritime logistics in support of regional peace and security initiatives.”

Against this background, the CNS advocated stronger synergy between the ECOWAS Standby Force and the CMTF-GoG, noting that maritime security challenges increasingly straddle both land and sea and therefore require shared capabilities, information and coordinated responses.

He encouraged more African states to join the CMTF-GoG, thereby building a broader regional security architecture to address transnational maritime threats.

Brigadier General Massaquoi, who conveyed greetings from the President of the ECOWAS Commission, acknowledged Nigeria’s significant role in regional security and expressed appreciation for its continued support for ECOWAS initiatives.

He also underscored the need to strengthen the maritime component of the regional security architecture.

The engagement reinforced the importance of Nigeria’s strategic leadership, regional interoperability and broader African participation in building a more responsive maritime security framework for the Gulf of Guinea and the wider West African sub-region.