Nigeria reaffirms support for ECOWAS security initiatives

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all ECOWAS security initiatives to promote regional peace, integration, and development. During a courtesy visit in Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, met with the outgoing and incoming chairmen of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS).

General Oluyede pledged full support to the incoming chairman to strengthen the collective security mechanism of the sub-region. He emphasized that security is indivisible and urged ECOWAS member states to set aside political divergences and bilateral disputes to jointly address common existential threats.

The outgoing chairman, Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura of Sierra Leone, completed formal handover procedures for the CCDS leadership. Bangura commended Nigeria for its leading role in promoting stability in West Africa and noted its historical support for Sierra Leone during its civil war and subsequent peace-consolidation efforts.