West African security experts call for flexible regional architecture

Security experts and regional stakeholders have called for the development of a more flexible and complementary security architecture to address the evolving threats facing West Africa. During a pre-West African Peace and Security Dialogue (WAPSeD) 2027 strategy meeting in Abuja, participants emphasized the need for responses that account for local circumstances rather than relying on a single regional framework.

Prof. Charles Ukeje, Board Chairman of the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE), argued that security challenges vary significantly across communities and require overlapping arrangements at national, regional, and transnational levels. He advocated for locally driven solutions and increased participation from women and youth in peace and security processes.

BBFORPEACE Executive Director Rafiu Lawal noted that the threat landscape is expanding. Beyond conventional security concerns, he identified disinformation, information manipulation, drug trafficking, and illicit economies as emerging challenges that are increasingly interconnected with organized crime, corruption, and social instability.