The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for deeper regional security cooperation and stronger defence partnerships among Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states to address contemporary and emerging security threats across the subregion.

Shaibu made the call on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheik Massaquoi, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.

The COAS said the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of security threats required greater collaboration among countries in the region, stressing that terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and other cross-border threats could not be effectively tackled by individual countries acting alone.

He urged military leaders across the region to draw on their collective professional expertise and operational experience to develop practical strategies for confronting emerging threats.

Shaibu also called for sustained military-to-military cooperation through regular dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises, as well as the continuous review and harmonisation of military doctrines.

According to him, such measures would enhance interoperability, operational readiness and the ability of regional forces to plan and respond collectively to security challenges.

The Army Chief reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to Nigeria’s regional security obligations and pledged continued support 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, regional security and defence cooperation in West Africa.

He called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force into a more proactive, interoperable and responsive regional security capability capable of addressing evolving threats.

Massaquoi identified updated military doctrines, enhanced joint training and exercises, and stronger defence partnerships among member states as critical to achieving the objective.

He also solicited Nigeria’s continued support to enhance the operational effectiveness of the ECOWAS Standby Force and strengthen its capacity to support collective security, peace and stability across the subregion.