Nigerian Government has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional peace and stability as it joined West African leaders in Abuja for the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the ministerial level.
The session, held on Tuesday, brought together Ministers, Heads of ECOWAS Institutions, Commissioners and international partners to examine the increasingly fragile political and security landscape across the region.President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, warned that West Africa now faces an “average high-risk rating” due to rising coups, erosion of electoral norms, expanding terrorist activity and mounting humanitarian pressures.
Describing the situation as a “state of emergency,” he called for stronger coordination, deeper security cooperation and more frequent MSC engagements.Chairman of the Council and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Musa Timothy Kabba, reiterated ECOWAS’ zero-tolerance stance on unconstitutional changes of government.
He cited the swift responses to the coup in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin as evidence of the bloc’s commitment to defending democracy. Kabba stressed that West Africans expect decisive actions that uphold constitutional order and protect regional stability.
Nigeria was represented by senior officials, including the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (Rtd.); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Dunoma Umar Ahmed; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Amb. Olawale Emmanuel Awe; and Director of the ECOWAS National Unit, Amb. Nonyelum Afoekelu. Their presence underscored Nigeria’s continued leadership in regional security affairs.
With terrorism intensifying and more than 7.6 million people displaced across the region, the MSC reiterated its commitment to strengthening constitutional governance, supporting credible elections, and enhancing collective responses to emerging threats.
Recommendations from the meeting will be forwarded to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for further consideration as the bloc works to safeguard peace, security and the welfare of its citizens.