Tinubu, ECOWAS leaders forge united front against coups, terrorism

….names Dangote chairman, ECOWAS Business Council

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

The West African regional body also named Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, as Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council.

Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, who disclosed this after the meeting on Sunday in Abuja, announced that Dangote had accepted to serve as Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council, a platform designed to facilitate dialogue between the private sector and governments for regional development.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, said in a statement on Sunday that the regional body also took other far-reaching decisions at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS held in Abuja.

Read also: ECOWAS’ leaders watch as membership withers

The leaders decried the series of successful military takeovers in the Sahel, with the bloc shifting from reactive sanctions to pre-emptive military and diplomatic intervention.

They recalled that one of the clearest demonstrations of a united front was the rapid response that thwarted a coup attempt in the Republic of Benin on December 7, 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.

President Tinubu, the immediate past Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government; the current Chairman, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone; and Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, among others who spoke at the session held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, maintained that “a united front and solidarity are the way forward to halt military takeovers and violent extremism in the region.”

Tinubu was represented at the session, tagged “Special Debate on the Future of the Community,” by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Tinubu listed incessant coups, transnational organised crime, arms proliferation, cyber insecurity, climate shocks, food insecurity, and irregular migration as crises confronting the region that must be tackled collectively, noting that such threats do not respect national borders.

Speaking during the opening of the session, the Nigerian leader acknowledged that member states, like all families, disagree, contest ideas, and test one another’s patience, but stressed that disagreements and sibling rivalry do not erase shared identity or common destiny.

“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,” he said.

According to him, “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 also reaffirmed what he described as Nigeria’s “proven fidelity” to the ideals of ECOWAS and the country’s unwavering commitment to collective action in defence of the region’s common future.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s position and his consistent actions have demonstrated that the region’s “unity is not transactional, but foundational,” adding that “fraternity, not force, must define the future of ECOWAS.”

However, he regretted the steep descent into internal disagreements within the ECOWAS region, which he said had shaken the foundation of the union, noting 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 towards restoring order, stability, and confidence in the region, saying their efforts reaffirmed that West Africa’s 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.”

On his part, President Bio, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, thanked his predecessor, President Tinubu, and the Federal Government of Nigeria for hosting the session, while applauding Nigeria’s leadership across the region.

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

President Bio described the 68th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS as a defining moment and a turning point for the more than 400 million citizens of the sub-region.

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

Under the agreement, member states will abolish air transport taxes, among other measures.

Touray acknowledged the support of various foreign and continental partners, while stressing that events of recent weeks had demonstrated the power of regional solidarity.

He cited instability in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin Republic, noting that both were addressed through a swift response led by President Tinubu.

Touray commended regional leaders for their commitment to the community, noting that for over five decades, the ECOWAS Authority has met consistently to address regional challenges with wisdom, foresight, and mutual respect.

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

He described the attempted coup in Benin Republic and the instability in Guinea-Bissau as regrettable and “unacceptable to the African Union.”

The summit comes amid heightened regional instability, following a successful coup in Guinea-Bissau in November and a foiled military takeover in Benin Republic last week.

These incidents followed a wave of coups between 2020 and 2023 in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, all of which remain under military rule.

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