AWC Diplomatic Desk
Nigeria has renewed its call for stronger regional security cooperation in West Africa, framing peace and stability as critical pillars for economic growth, investment confidence, and cross-border trade across the sub-region.
At the High-Level Conference on Security and Regional Cooperation held in Accra, Ghana, Nigeria advocated the reactivation of a West African regional standby force and proposed the use of its National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as a central hub for intelligence coordination and joint operations. The proposals are aimed at confronting terrorism, transnational organised crime, and other security threats that continue to undermine economic activity in the region.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, stressed that regional security cooperation is not only a defence imperative but a direct economic necessity for Nigeria and its neighbours.
According to her, insecurity has remained one of the biggest deterrents to foreign direct investment, disrupted trade corridors, raised logistics and insurance costs, and weakened productivity across key sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and energy. Strengthening collective security mechanisms, she noted, would help stabilise markets, protect infrastructure, and unlock growth opportunities for millions of people.
Nigeria’s proposal to leverage its National Counter Terrorism Centre as a regional intelligence and coordination hub is expected to enhance real-time information sharing, reduce duplication of efforts, and improve the effectiveness of security responses across borders. Analysts say this could significantly lower the economic losses associated with insurgency, banditry, and organised crime, while restoring investor confidence in West Africa’s largest economy.
The call for a revitalised regional standby force also signals Nigeria’s intention to promote burden-sharing in security spending, easing pressure on national budgets while creating a safer environment for regional trade under frameworks such as ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Participants at the conference acknowledged that sustained peace remains a prerequisite for economic integration, job creation, and inclusive growth. Nigeria’s intervention, observers say, reflects a strategic understanding that long-term prosperity cannot be achieved in isolation from regional stability.
As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s push for coordinated security action underscores its belief that safer borders, secure communities, and shared intelligence will translate into stronger economies, deeper trade ties, and improved livelihoods across West Africa.
