The Director of Army Employees (COAS), Lieutenant Universal Waidi Shaibu, has called for deeper area security assistance and stronger defence partnerships amid Economic Crew of West African States (ECOWAS) associate states to tackle current and emerging security threats across the subregion.
Shaibu made the name on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the Chief of Employees, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier Ordinary Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy summon on to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The COAS said the increasingly complicated and interconnected nature of security threats required increased collaboration amid countries in the region, stressing that terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and other cross-border threats could not be effectively tackled by human being countries acting alone.
He urged military leaders across the region to draw on their collective eligible expertise and serviceable feel to produce functional strategies for confronting emerging threats.
Shaibu moreover called for sustained military-to-military coordination throughout usual dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises, as well as the constant critique and harmonisation of military doctrines.
According to him, such measures would upgrade interoperability, functioning readiness and the ability of territorial forces to scheme and respond collectively to security challenges.
The Army Director reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s district security obligations and pledged continued guide for initiatives aimed at strengthening the ECOWAS security architecture.
Earlier, Massaquoi thanked the Nigerian Army for its support and acknowledged Nigeria’s longstanding contributions to peacekeeping, community security and defence coordination in West Africa.
He called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force into a further proactive, interoperable and rapid community security capability able of addressing evolving threats.
Massaquoi identified updated military doctrines, enhanced joint training and exercises, and stronger defence partnerships between component states as important to achieving the aim.
He furthermore solicited Nigeria’s continued approve to upgrade the operating effectiveness of the ECOWAS Standby Force and strengthen its capacity to support collective security, peace and stability across the subregion.
Source: Army chief seeks deeper regional defence partnerships
