The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has directed its commission to urgently disburse $2.85 million to each of five member states—Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo, to strengthen regional counterterrorism operations.
The decision was announced in a communique following the 68th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria. The funding is to be sourced from the bloc’s regional security fund.
The authority also instructed the immediate operationalisation of the regional counterterrorism brigade, in line with funding mechanisms proposed by ECOWAS finance and defence ministers.
Additionally, the commission was asked to convene meetings of the committee of chiefs of intelligence services and the committee of chiefs of defence staff to accelerate the activation of the brigade.
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Expressing deep concern over the worsening security situation across the region, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, the bloc cited ongoing attacks, kidnappings, and sabotage by terrorist groups, insurgents, and bandits. ECOWAS noted that approximately six million people have been displaced, triggering severe humanitarian crises.
The authority condemned the recent abduction of schoolchildren in northern Nigeria and commended President Bola Tinubu for securing their release.
It also called on the international community, through the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security Council—to respond promptly and cohesively to the needs of terrorism-affected countries.
ECOWAS further urged member states and the commission to maintain close engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to strengthen regional collaboration against insecurity.
At the Abuja summit, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, called on regional leaders to unite against terrorism and military coups, stressing that the external threats confronting West Africa “demand nothing less than a united front” from member states.
