ECOWAS Urged to Strengthen Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security
The Nigerian Navy has called for stronger cooperation between the ECOWAS Standby Force and the Combined Maritime Task Force–Gulf of Guinea, CMTF-GoG, to confront growing maritime security threats across West Africa.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, made the call when he received the Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi, who paid a courtesy visit to the Naval Headquarters in Abuja.
Vice Admiral Abbas, in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Nigerian Navy, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, stressed that greater participation by African countries in regional security initiatives would improve the collective capacity of the region to respond to terrorism, piracy, trafficking and other transnational crimes.
He cited the recently launched CMTF-GoG as a practical example of regional cooperation against maritime threats, urging more African countries to join the initiative.
The Naval Chief also called for closer operational links between the ECOWAS Standby Force and the Gulf of Guinea task force through intelligence sharing, interoperable forces and coordinated operations.
He said Nigeria had continued to contribute to regional security through maritime logistics and strategic sealift, recalling the recent movement of Chinese-donated ECOWAS military equipment to frontline countries, including Benin Republic and Sierra Leone.
Vice Admiral Abbas also recalled the Nigerian Navy’s 2022 strategic sealift of military hardware to Guinea-Bissau in support of Nigerian troops deployed under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission.
He further urged ECOWAS to strengthen the Standby Force and ensure that it remains operationally ready and capable of rapid deployment against terrorism, insurgency and organised cross-border crime.
Responding, Brigadier General Massaquoi, who conveyed greetings from the President of the ECOWAS Commission, acknowledged Nigeria’s significant contribution to regional security.
He expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s continued support for ECOWAS initiatives and stressed the need to strengthen the maritime component of the regional security architecture.
The meeting underscored the need for stronger regional coordination to protect the Gulf of Guinea, secure maritime trade and strengthen security across the wider West African sub-region.
