President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern over the slow pace of activating the ECOWAS Standby Force, urging West African leaders to expedite efforts in the collective fight against terrorism and transnational crimes.
The President raised the issue during his opening address at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja.
The session marks one of his final duties as chairman of the 50-year-old regional economic bloc.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu underscored the urgent need to operationalize the force in the face of rising insecurity 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,” Tinubu said.
He noted that the threats confronting the region are transnational in nature, orchestrated by agile and dangerous networks that do not respect national borders.
“No single nation can address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will, and adopt a collective approach to ensure our security,” he added.
Reflecting on his tenure, Tinubu highlighted key achievements, including the completion of the ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone, which he said would play a critical role in supporting the deployment of ECOWAS forces.
“Last February in Addis Ababa, Nigeria signed the Sixth Agreement with the African Union. With the depot now completed, Nigeria is committed to providing sea-lift and air-lift logistics for ECOWAS operations,” he stated
