The Economic Community of West African States and the Sahel region yesterday got tips on how to combat terrorism in the region.
Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru suggested the adoption of Nigeria’s approach, which combines security operations with cooperation and community-based solutions to rout out the menace.
He spoke at the Regional Conference on Combating Emerging Terrorists Group and Strengthening Sustainable Security in the ECOWAS and Sahel region, in Abuja.
Badaru said the approach provides practical examples that could be adapted to serve the wider ECOWAS and Sahel regions.
The Defence Minister stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and vision have continued to shape Nigeria’s security reforms, prioritizing security at the center of national renewal through the Renewed Hope Agenda, which links peace with prosperity and stability with progress, guiding Nigeria’s decisive steps to confront insecurity.
READ ALSO: Tinubu seeks NASS backing to fast-track State Police
He said: “Our Armed Forces have carried out joint operations across the Northeast, Northwest, and Northcentral. These operations have dismantled terrorist strongholds and led to the surrender of thousands of insurgents. Nigeria has also reinforced its support to the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin,which remains central to collective action against Boko Haram and related extremist groups.
“Alongside these efforts, Operation Safe Corridor provides a structured programme for rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant combatants. This has reduced the cycle of violence while helping communities rebuild trust. Nigeria has also remained committed to regional cooperation through frameworks such as the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which strengthens maritime awareness and secures trade corridors.
“Although the Sahel is mainly a land theatre, these cooperative mechanisms remind us that no space should be left for terrorists or criminal groups to exploit, whether on land or at sea.”
According to the minister, by expanding intelligence integration, strengthening coordinated operations, and building reintegration programmes, the ECOWAS and Sahel could create a regional security system that is resilient, inclusive and sustainable.
He noted that modern terrorism has become increasingly complex, with adaptive and highly networked adversaries who employ sophisticated methods, collaborate with international terrorist organizations, create cross-border instability by exploiting weaknesses in shared defenses, and further leverage encrypted communication platforms, unmanned aerial systems, and online radicalization of vulnerable youth.
“This evolution underscores the urgency of our meeting today,” Badaru said.
“For too long, our responses have been fragmented. National efforts, though commendable, have not been sufficient against a transnational menace. Terrorism spreads whenever it finds weaknesses in our shared defences. Security in one country is inseparable from the security of its neighbours.
“This conference must therefore advance a new era of collective security in our region … The future stability of ECOWAS and the Sahel will depend on the decisions we take here and the commitments we follow through afterwards.
The minister emphasized that Nigeria believes the perspectives of its agencies and institutions are crucial to shaping an effective regional framework; he proposed three key areas for consideration in developing a feasible and actionable framework.
The areas, according to him, are integrated intelligence, institutionalizing joint and multinational military operations, and addressing the root causes of radicalisation.
Appreciating the support of international organizations like the United Nations, and countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom in combating terrorism in Nigeria and other African countries, Badaru urged ECOWAS and Sahelian countries to ensure the conference’s success by supporting the implementation of its outcomes.”
The future of our region depends on the choices we make today. This conference must not end with words on paper. It must deliver an actionable roadmap that strengthens partnerships, deepens collaboration and secures a future of peace, stability and shared prosperity,” the minister said.
Also, the National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Garba Adamu Laka, noted that the conference was particularly urgent due to the fast changing nature of terrorism.
He said: “What makes this conference particularly urgent is that these groups are not only multiplying but exploiting digital spaces as well as new technologies to fight, radicalize and recruit, especially our youth.
“This evolving threat demands that we match their adaptability with resilience, innovation, and stronger collaboration across borders.”
He said the conference directly responds to the call made by leaders at the ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit of December 2024, which urged the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Counterterrorism Force, mobilization of sustainable funding, and enhanced cross-border cooperation.
“It also aligns with the ECOWAS Plan of Action (2020–2024), the Accra Initiative, Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Strategy, and our Strategic Plan (2025–2030). Collectively, these frameworks reflect our shared commitment; what is left is to move from words to pragmatic action,” Maj. Gen. Laka said.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel -Fatau Musah, who was represented by Dr Cyriaque Pawoumotom Agnekethom, noted that Africa had emerged as the new hub of terrorist activities, with the Sahel region seeing a dramatic increase.
He said faced with the reality of terrorism as a phenomenon in the ECOWAS region, the regional body has been actively engaged in counter-terrorism efforts, deploying a multi-faceted approach, such as establishing a regional force and fostering regional cooperation on intelligence sharing, training, and humanitarian interventions.
“Whilst we are gearing up for the activation of the regional force, it is our conviction that a multi-pronged approach which combines both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies is the most effective means of tackling and eradicating the menace of terrorism in the region and Sahel at large,” Maj. Gen. Musa said
He hailed Nigeria and President Tinubu for the continued commitment and support to the ECOWAS.
The United Nations (UN) Under Secretary-General and Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Leonardo Santos Simão, noted that terrorists activities is spreading fast from West Africa and Sahel into protected areas like the Park W, Arly, and Pendjari.
He, however, emphasized that despite these challenges, the cooperation between ECOWAS and the African Union in counter-terrorism “is showing positive developments, with the recent initiative to establish a Joint Threat Fusion and Analysis Cell to coordinate information and intelligence sharing between states.”
Simão praised Nigeria and the progress made in advancing the decisions made during the African Counter-Terrorism Conference held last year in Abuja, including the upgrade of this Counter-Terrorism Centre into a Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre.
“I note with appreciation that the key lessons and decisions from that conference are gradually being implemented, despite the constraints we collectively face,”he said.