President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for the reactivation of a regional standby force, leveraging Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja as the central hub for intelligence and coordinated operations. The appeal was delivered through the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during a security conference on operational challenges and future risk trajectories in West Africa and the Sahel, held in Accra, Ghana, on January 29-30, 2026.
Highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to counter terrorism, President Tinubu noted the country’s active collaboration with regional institutions, including the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit, Liaison Fusion Unit, Eastern African Fusion Unit, and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa. The NCTC also formalized a partnership with the African Union in 2025 to strengthen continent-wide counterterrorism initiatives.
“Security cooperation is at the core of Nigeria’s national interest and regional stability,” Tinubu said. “Through intelligence sharing, joint initiatives, and coordinated operations, we aim to bolster our collective ability to combat terrorism, organized crime, and insecurity that threaten development across our nations.”
He warned that much of West Africa remains vulnerable due to fragmented defense structures and a lack of centralized counterterrorism coordination. These gaps have allowed militant groups in the Sahel to extend their influence into littoral West Africa, affecting countries including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
Tinubu also raised concerns over the potential relocation of drug cartel activities from South America into weaker enforcement zones across West Africa, a consequence of intensified US anti-narcotics campaigns.
In response to these threats, he urged ECOWAS and the AES states to de-escalate tensions and create an inclusive regional framework that aligns security efforts with shared economic interests, emphasizing the need for coordinated action to restore stability and prevent further exploitation of regional vulnerabilities.
