43rd Ordinary Meeting Of The ECOWAS Committee Of Chiefs Of Defence Staff, General Musa Advocates For Peace, Security In The Sub Region

By AN Okwuolise, Abuja

The 43rd Ordinary Meeting of The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs Of Defence Staff which is ongoing in DHQ from 11 to 13 March 2025. The Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, and also the Chairman of the CCDS, General CG Musa in his welcome address, he advocates for peace and security in the Sub Region.

He said, “Iam delighted to once again welcome you all to Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory for the 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of The Chiefs of Defence Staff.

“It is indeed a privilege to stand before this esteemed gathering of distinguished colleagues as we follow up on our last deliberations of August 2024 and further reflect on prevailing issues that continue to impact our individual and collective security in the West African Sub-region.

“Your presence here today is yet another evidence of a shared commitment and dedication towards fostering and entrenching a secured environment for the safety and well being of our people. It also demonstrates a collective drive toward addressing the various security threats that afflict our beloved region.

“As leaders of our respective armed/defence forces, we are aware that without a secure and conducive environment, economic growth and development will continue to elude our region.

“We must therefore support our political leadership by entrenching conducive and secure environment for economic development to thrive. Recognizing that today’s threat are not only complex and adaptive, they pervade and in cases traverse countries in the subregion.

“We must therefore commend the foresight of our past leaders for setting up this platform to leverage for collective action against a common threat.

“Accordingly, the complexity of the security landscape demands that we leverage our collective expertise, intelligence assets and coordinate our efforts across borders if we must solve these challenges, as the world has become a global village and the gap between us shrinking even more.

“Thus, collaboration is paramount and imperative to address both the root causes and symptoms of insecurity in our region. It is on this premise that the agenda for this meeting was carefully crafted to focus on critical areas while building from our previous engagements.

“Some of these critical areas, include the proposed review of pledges for the ECOWAS Standby Force, consideration of pledges for ECOWAS Standby Force Counterterrorist Brigade and the rotation of Staff Officers of Peace Support Operations Divisions and ECOWAS Standby Force as well as Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. Others are the presentation on the outcome of the Governmental Experts Meeting on the ECOWAS Logistics Concept and Standing Operating Procedures for ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi.

“The Meeting will also present and review the report of last Chiefs of Naval Staff Meeting. Furthermore, there will be a presentation on Standardisation of the Table of Equipment for the ECOWAS Standby Force.

“As we embark on today’s discussions, I must remind all that your insights and experiences are paramount to our collective mission, while our sincerity and constructive commitments are essential for productive deliberations.

“To this end, I encourage us to enthusiastically exchange ideas and strategies during this meeting for the benefit of all. I also wish to enjoin you to always remember the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and honour their dedication to maintaining peace.

“Let me at this juncture, express my profound gratitude to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Head of States and Government, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his inspiring leadership and the support towards this conference. My appreciation goes to the President of the ECOWAS Commission for his leadership and commitment to the successes of our activities.

“My gratitude further goes to the Special Guest of Honour, the Honourable Minister of Defence; Alhaji, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON (Member of the National Institute) for honouring our invitation today.

“Lastly, my special thanks go to all the ECOWAS Commissioners, special guests and my staff for their efforts in ensuring the success of this event. Once again, I thank you all for coming and do salute your firm commitment and contributions to securing our region. Together, we will build a safer and more prosperous future for our people.

“I look forward to our fruitful discussions and the development of actionable strategies that will strengthen the security framework of West Africa and the entire continent”.

The Special Guest of Honour, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar emphasized that the meeting is for the committee to address and tackle issue of Terrorism Ravaging ECOWAS Sub Region.

He said, “Central to our discussions in the coming days are pressing issues concerning the ECOWAS Standby Force, ECOWAS peace support operations, as well as maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. I am confident that our deliberations will be marked by a spirit of collaboration, innovation, and determination as we work toward drafting a comprehensive strategy to address the security challenges in the subregion.

“By leveraging our collective expertise, resources, and commitment, we can make a tangible impact on fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the sub-region.

“In this regard, I am pleased to announce the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to combat terrorism in the sub-region. This activation underscores our collective determination to confront the threat of terrorism and ensure the security of the subregion.

“With regard to security and ensuring the safety of our citizens, let me express my profound gratitude to each of you for your ongoing dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the security and well-being of our people. Let us approach our deliberations with a sense of purpose, unity, and resolve, knowing that we have the power to shape a more secure and prosperous future for our subregion.”

Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, also assured that the recent withdrawal of three African countries, ECOWAS will continue to uphold the free movement of people and goods for citizens of member states. This commitment is rooted in the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence, and Establishment, which aims to promote economic integration and cooperation among member states.

He also emphasized that plans were in place to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of the withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

According to him, “As you are aware, on January 29, 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formally withdrew their membership from ECOWAS.

“Following the directives of the Authority of Heads of State and Government at the last summit in December 2024, the ECOWAS Commission has now initiated a contingency plan to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of their withdrawal.

“Therefore, I call on you to critically examine the implications of their withdrawal on regional security in the course of your deliberations.

“I also wish to stress that ECOWAS still has its doors open to welcome back our brothers and sisters from the three countries that recently withdrew from our community.

“In this regard, the ECOWAS Committee of Heads of State has directed that, despite the withdrawal, ECOWAS must maintain the free movement of people and goods, as well as the right of settlement and establishment, for all citizens of our community, including those from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

“This aligns with ECOWAS’ vision of building a united community, ensuring that ordinary citizens of our member states do not suffer.” He said.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun in his goodwill message noted the critical roles the military plays in defending the territorial integrity, protection of its citizens and its contribution to National Peace and security.

“As the chief of police in Nigeria, we recognize the critical roles that our defense forces play in maintaining peace security and strategy of our region and this conference, no doubt, represents a technical opportunity for us to come together share experiences, to address the complex security challenges.

“As we gather here today, we do so in the spirit of cooperation and shared commitments to the peace and stability of our nation.”

The Chiefs who were in attendance, are the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Oluyede, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.