President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has been re-elected as President of ECOWAS.
Mr Tinubu was re-elected as head of the regional bloc during the 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
Mr. Tinubu urged ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to work towards the establishment and maintenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.
The Nigerian President stressed the need to have a reserve force in the face of growing security threats.
“The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation in training, information sharing and humanitarian interventions. In addition, the Ministers of Finance and Defence recently met in Abuja to raise funds to activate the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Member countries are also demonstrating their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets to acquire the necessary equipment and ensure readiness,” the President said.
President Tinubu urged Member States to further commit to providing the resources needed to protect the region.
Article page with promotion of financial support
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: ECOWAS trial as Tinubu’s mandate ends
“Let me stress that a peaceful and secure society is essential to achieving our potential. As we move towards the operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force to combat terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will, but also significant financial resources.
“Therefore, we must ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set by our Ministers of Defense and Finance to counter insecurity and stabilize our region,” the President added.
He advised ECOWAS leaders to harness the capabilities of Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre, which has been widely acknowledged as one of the best on the continent.