The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Nigerian Army have discussed stronger military cooperation, intelligence-sharing, joint training and logistics support to improve regional security and operational readiness across West Africa.
The discussions took place when the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Waiting Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Massaquoi, visited the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, at the Nigerian Army Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Massaquoi was accompanied by the Commander of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi, Captain Idenyi Jude Akpa, and officers from the ECOWAS Waiting Force and the Peace Support Operations Division of the ECOWAS Commission.
The visit formed part of ongoing engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation between the military component of the ECOWAS Commission and the Nigerian Army, particularly in regional security, defence cooperation, operational preparedness, interoperability, training and logistics.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on prevailing security challenges across West Africa and explore ways to improve coordination among regional military institutions.
Discussions focused on enhancing intelligence-sharing, expanding joint training opportunities, strengthening logistics support and improving interoperability to enable forces to work more effectively together during regional operations.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to closer military cooperation and the development of a more responsive regional security architecture capable of addressing evolving threats across West Africa.
The engagement underscores the importance of coordination between Nigeria, a key regional military power, and ECOWAS in strengthening collective security and preparedness for peace support operations.
