West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, is pushing for a £2bn annual budget to launch a 5,000-strong Standby Force aimed at countering terrorism, political instability and cross-border crime.
Defence and finance ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gathered in Abuja this week to hammer out funding for the ambitious project. An initial deployment of 1,650 troops, expected to cost around £380m, would pave the way for full deployment in later phases.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray warned that terrorism had become the region’s most pressing security challenge, fuelled by weak governance and entrenched conflict in the Sahel. “The emergence of terrorist group activities within and around West Africa has become a matter of serious concern,” he said.
The Global Terrorism Index shows the Sahel accounted for more than half of all terrorism deaths worldwide in 2024, with violence now spilling into previously stable coastal states such as Benin and Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar described the talks as a “critical step” towards defending sovereignty and democratic institutions. Sierra Leone’s deputy defence minister, Brima Massaquoi, underlined the need for leadership, intelligence-sharing and investment in training.
Ministers are weighing a mix of financing options, including raising the ECOWAS Community Levy, GDP-based contributions, direct state budget allocations and public–private partnerships.
Abubakar urged his counterparts to treat the Abuja summit not as “just another meeting” but as a mandate to act. “This moment must be viewed as a decisive turning point,” he said.
If approved, the Standby Force would represent ECOWAS’s most ambitious security undertaking to date, testing the region’s ability to pool resources and political will against a growing tide of extremism.
