Nigeria Calls for West Africa Security Force

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria called for the reactivation of a regional standby force to combat worsening security challenges in West Africa and the Sahel. Speaking at a conference in Accra, Ghana, Bola Tinubu proposed leveraging Nigeria's National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as an intelligence and operational hub for regional counter-terrorism efforts. He emphasized the need for collaborative, multilateral approaches to address the expansion of Sahel-based terrorists into littoral states like Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. Bola Tinubu also warned about the potential relocation of South American drug cartels to West Africa, which could forge alliances with insurgent groups. He highlighted political divisions, particularly between the ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, as obstacles to effective cooperation, urging for de-escalation of tensions and an inclusive security framework. The President also stressed the importance of addressing root causes of instability such as poverty and governance deficits.