By Elizabeth Tanko
Abuja, Nigeria – The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s strategic leadership in regional peace and security, declaring the Nigerian Army’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation and sustaining collective action against emerging threats across West Africa.
According to a statement by by the Acting Director Army Public Relations Officer, Colonel Appolonia Anele, General Shaibu said this when he received the Chief of Defence Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura, at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.
He recalled Nigeria’s historic contributions to peace enforcement and peace support operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), noting that the sacrifices of Nigerian troops were instrumental in restoring stability during periods of conflict.
According to the COAS, Nigeria’s military experience and strategic position place a huge responsibility on the country to continue leading regional security efforts through counter-terrorism operations, military capacity building and multinational cooperation.
He called for stronger defence partnerships among ECOWAS member states, particularly English-speaking countries, through enhanced intelligence sharing, joint training and operational coordination to tackle transnational threats.
Expressing concern over the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS and the emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), General Shaibu stressed the need for sustained diplomatic engagement and strategic cooperation to preserve regional cohesion and counter terrorism and violent extremism.
The Army Chief congratulated General Bangura on the successful completion of his tenure as Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS), commending his contributions to regional military cooperation.
He reiterated the Nigerian Army’s determination to consolidate bilateral defence relations and support collective security initiatives, while paying tribute to military personnel and veterans whose sacrifices remain central to West Africa’s peace and stability.
Earlier, Lieutenant General Bangura acknowledged Nigeria’s decisive intervention in restoring peace to Sierra Leone during its civil war and expressed profound appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigerian troops.
Recalling his military training in Nigeria, he described the relationship between both countries as a strategic partnership founded on shared history, mutual trust and a common commitment to regional peace.
He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s solidarity with Nigeria in addressing contemporary security challenges and pledged to sustain military cooperation among Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia, including initiatives to honour veterans of regional peace support operations.
