ECOWAS leaders meet, vow to be proactive against coups

Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to forge a proactive and forceful united front to put an end to the spread of military coups, terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the region.

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The decision taken in Abuja on Sunday at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS leaders followed a series of successful military takeovers in the Sahel, with the bloc shifting from reactive sanctions to preemptive military and diplomatic intervention.

The most concrete evidence of a united front was the rapid response to stop the coup in the Republic of Benin on 7 December 2025, when, within hours of soldiers seizing the national broadcaster in Cotonou, President Bola Tinubu deployed Nigerian fighter jets and ground troops to support loyalist forces.

Immediate past Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Tinubu of Nigeria; the current Chairman, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, among others, who spoke at the 68th ordinary session hosted by Nigeria, maintained that a united front and solidarity are the way to go in order to halt military takeovers and violent extremism in the region.

Represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, at the session tagged, “Special Debate on the Future of the Community,” President Tinubu listed incessant coups, transnational organised crime, arms proliferation, cyber insecurity, climate shocks, food insecurity, and irregular migration as crises in the region that must be tackled collectively, saying these forms of criminality have no respect for borders.

The Nigerian leader, while speaking during the opening of the session, acknowledged that member states disagree just like all families contest ideas, and test one another’s patience, pointing out however that disagreements and sibling rivalry do not erase belonging or annul shared blood.

“Excellencies, the external threats confronting West Africa today demand nothing less than a united front. Terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government, transnational organised crime, arms proliferation, cyber insecurity, climate shocks, food insecurity, and irregular migration recognise no borders.

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“No single Member State, regardless of size or strength, can achieve enduring stability in isolation. Our security, prosperity, and resilience are indivisible. We must sit at the same table, speak with one voice, and act with shared resolve,” he stated.

President Tinubu reafirmed what he described as Nigeria’s “proven fidelity” to the ideals of ECOWAS and the nation’s “unwavering commitment to collective action in defence of” the region’s common future.

The Nigerian leader said the position of Nigeria and his abiding conviction demonstrated by his actions have consistently signalled that the region’s “unity is not transactional, but foundational,” adding that “fraternity, not force, must define the future of” ECOWAS.

President Tinubu regretted the steep descent into internal disagreement within the ECOWAS region, which, according to him, has shaken the very foundation of the union, just as he noted that “a community is only as strong as the trust its members repose in one another.

“We are most vulnerable not when challenged from outside, but when weakened from within. Time and again, we have demonstrated that we are not threats to one another. Our shared challenge, therefore, is to ensure that internal divisions do not erode the collective strength we have built over decades,” he added.

The president thanked member states for their contributions toward restoring order, stability, and confidence in the region, saying, “Your efforts reaffirm that our shared geography is not a curse, but an opportunity to build a Community that serves our collective good and protects the dignity of our peoples.”

For his part, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bio of Sierra Leone, thanked his predecessor, Mr Tinubu, and the Federal Government of Nigeria for hosting the session, just as he applauded Nigeria’s win-win leadership across the region.

He specifically commended the regional bloc’s leadership and singled out Nigeria for “taking the lead in safeguarding constitutional order in the Benin Republic.”

President Bio described the ECOWAS 68th ordinary of session as a defining moment for ECOWAS and a turning point for over 400 million West Africans.

He also disclosed that beginning from January 2026, ECOWAS will implement a landmark measure to reduce the cost of air travel across West Africa.

Under this agreement, the ECOWAS Chairman said, member states will abolish air transport taxes, among other measures.

On his part, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Touray, acknowledged the support of various foreign and continental partners to ECOWAS, emphasising however that events of the last few weeks in West Africa have demonstrated what regional solidarity can achieve.

He cited the instability in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin Republic, which, according to him, were addressed following a “swift response led by President Bola Tinubu.”

Mr Touray commended regional leaders for their strong commitment to the community, noting that for over five decades, the ECOWAS Authority has met consistently to engage issues confronting the region with wisdom, foresight, and respect.

He also announced that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has accepted to serve as Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council, a platform that will facilitate dialogue between the private sector and governments for the development of the region.

Also, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf, represented by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, said the session provided an opportunity for stakeholders to scale up coordination and strategic dialogue in advancing democracy and regional stability.

He stressed that the attempted coup in Benin Republic and the associated instability in Guinea-Bissau remain regrettable and “unacceptable to the African Union.”

Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)
14th December, 2025