Finance and Defense Ministers from member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) concluded a high-level meeting on Friday at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, with a central focus on mobilizing financial resources for the establishment of a regional stabilization force.
The session, described by participants as a landmark engagement aimed to develop a coordinated funding strategy to address escalating security challenges across West Africa, particularly the growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism.
The meeting was chaired by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, who now serves as Chair of the ECOWAS Ministers of Finance. His appointment follows the elevation of Sierra Leone’s President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, to Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
In his opening address, Minister Bangura conveyed greetings from President Bio and commended member states for their collective commitment to regional peace and stability. He emphasized the pressing need for united action in the face of terrorism, political instability, and transnational organized crime.
“Despite significant progress, our region continues to face a multitude of governance and security challenges. Terrorism, in particular, poses a grave risk to our collective peace, territorial integrity, and socio-economic development,” he said. “If terrorism strikes any part of our community, it threatens the foundational freedoms of all member states.”
Minister Bangura called for strengthened intelligence sharing, joint troop mobilization, and innovative financing mechanisms. He praised the financial experts who developed a preliminary funding framework and urged broader collaboration with international stakeholders, including the United Nations.
Reaffirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to the ECOWAS stabilization initiative, Minister Bangura encouraged colleague ministers to “mobilize, reengineer, and innovate” in the collective effort to make the regional force operational.
Also speaking at the meeting, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, praised the ministers’ dedication to the shared goals of peace, security, and regional integration. He highlighted the institution’s five decades of resilience, while warning of the rising threat of terrorism in the Sahel and across West Africa.
“ECOWAS is 50 years strong and remains a viable and integrated community,” Touray stated. “However, the rise in terrorist activity—particularly in the Sahel—poses one of the most serious threats to our region’s stability, commerce, and the free movement of people.”
Citing the Global Terrorism Index, Dr. Touray noted that West Africa is now one of the regions most impacted by terrorism. He reaffirmed ECOWAS’ multi-faceted counter-terrorism strategy, which includes the creation of a standby force, enhanced intelligence cooperation, and increased humanitarian coordination.
Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Col. Muana Brima Massaquoi (Rtd.), was also in attendance, alongside key Sierra Leonean officials such as Alimamy Bangura, Chief Economist; Dr. Franklin Sisabu Bendu, Technical Adviser to the Finance Minister; and Tasima Jah, Director of the National Budget, who earlier chaired the ECOWAS Finance Technical Meetings held from August 27–28.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by all member states to pursue innovative and sustainable financing models to support the operationalization of the ECOWAS stabilization force and bolster long-term peace and security in the region.
