Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said West Africa is confronting increasingly complex security threats that are spilling across national borders and require stronger regional cooperation.
ECOWAS listed violent extremism, terrorism, political tensions, organised crime and humanitarian pressures as interconnected challenges confronting the region.
The Director of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, said this at the Pre-west Africa Peace and Security Dialogue (WAPSeD) 2027 Strategy and Review Meeting held in Abuja.
The meeting, convened by the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation with the theme: “From Dialogue to Action: Reflecting on WAPSeD 2025 Commitments and Setting the Agenda for WAPSeD 2027,” brought together policymakers, peacebuilders, researchers, youth and women groups.
Afolabi, who was represented by Gnacabja Constant, said sustainable peace cannot be achieved by one institution or government alone.
He said ECOWAS remains committed to providing platforms for regional institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and peace practitioners to deliberate on emerging challenges.
“If we want to achieve sustainable peace, we need to work on three Ps: People, prevention and partnership,” he said.
Afolabi said peace and security must go beyond crisis response, with prevention at the core of regional efforts. For ECOWAS, peace and security is not only about responding to crises; it is also about preventing crises,” he said, admitting that the Commission is learning from criticisms over poor communication.
He stressed the need to move from dialogue to action, noting that good analysis must translate into implementable recommendations.
“We recognise that the existence of initiatives is not enough. We need to act. How do we process the recommendation for action? That is the main essence of us being here,” he said.
In his keynote, Board Chair of the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation and Professor of International Relations at Obafemi Awolowo University, Charles Ukeje, urged stakeholders to ensure meaningful participation of women, youth, minorities and marginalised groups.
“If civil society claims to represent communities, then communities must actually have a voice in the processes that affect them. We cannot speak about participation while excluding the people most directly affected by insecurity and poor governance,” Ukeje said.
He called for mobilisation of local resources and capacities, warning against over-reliance on external actors “in an increasingly uncertain global environment.”
On his part, Executive Director of the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, Rafiu Lawal, said the security landscape is rapidly changing.
Lawal identified disinformation, information manipulation, drug trafficking and illicit economies as new threats eroding public trust and social cohesion.
“The geography of insecurity is changing, the nature of insecurity is changing, the actors are also changing, and therefore the tools required to prevent and respond to insecurity must also change,” he said.
Lawal said WAPSeD, established in 2024, provides a safe and inclusive platform to examine evolving challenges and develop practical conflict prevention approaches.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, represented by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Olaniran Olusola, said the region still grapples with economic downturn, poverty, human rights abuses, poor governance, terrorism and transnational crime.
“These challenges continue to threaten peace and stability, undermine livelihoods and impede socio-economic development,” Ochogwu said, calling for dialogue to be translated into concrete action.
The Secretary-General of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, Dr. John Tor Tsuwa, said weakening indigenous security structures has created gaps exploited by criminal groups.
“We have traditional rulers everywhere, but there is no legal function for them,” he said, challenging the description of some areas as ungoverned.
He warned that displacement patterns in North-central Nigeria could create new security risks if not managed.