11/08/2026
West African CIMICO Centre Cell Launched to Boost Regional Security
A West African Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMICO) Centre Cell has been launched as a regional platform to enhance civil-military cooperation and the civilian dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism and other emerging security threats across West Africa.
The launch was done today at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja during a Country-Level Engagement on Regional Security, organised by the Centre for Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMICO) in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission. The engagement, inspired by the resolutions of the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in December 2025, was themed “Enhancing the Civilian Dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in Combating Terrorism.” It brought together representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, diplomatic missions, the United Nations, ECOWAS Member States, the Armed Forces and security agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other regional stakeholders.
Among those present at the engagement were the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alh. Aminu Sani Yarigaya; Brigadier Tom Harper of the British High Commission; the Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria H.E. Patrick Englebert; the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Svein Baera; representatives of Embassies of ECOWAS Member States; H.E. Grace K., representing the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria; the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS, H.E. Olawale Awe; H.E. Gladys Feddy Akyea, representing the Ghanaian High Commission; H.E. Malick Niang, representing the Embassy of Senegal; representatives of the Service Chiefs and security agencies; the West African Action Network Against Small Arms (WANSA); and civil society leaders.
In his welcome address, the Coordinator of CIMICO Centre, Dr. Adams Otakwu mni, said the engagement was designed to move the regional conversation on terrorism beyond conventional security responses by strengthening the relationship between security institutions and civilian actors. He emphasised the importance of civil-military cooperation, civic engagement, early warning, community stabilisation and strategic partnerships in building resilient communities and strengthening regional security. He explained that the proposed West African CIMICO Centre Cell would provide a mechanism for sustaining the conversation and supporting its replication across ECOWAS Member States.
The engagement attracted strong support from international partners. In his goodwill message, Brigadier Tom Harper, representing the British High Commission, commended CIMICO and the ECOWAS Commission for initiating what he described as a timely conversation and emphasised the need for a multidimensional response to terrorism. The Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Svein Baera, underscored the importance of preventive security and reaffirmed the commitment of the Norwegian Government to supporting efforts aimed at mitigating terrorism and strengthening peace and stability. The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS, H.E. Olawale Awe in his goodwill message commended the initiative, stressing the importance of sustained regional cooperation and stronger civilian participation in addressing the evolving security challenges confronting West Africa.
Also delivering a goodwill message, H.E. Grace K., representing the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, stressed the importance of developing a strong and participatory response to terrorism, noting that communities and citizens have an important role to play in addressing the conditions that enable violent extremism. She expressed the readiness of the UN Resident Coordinator to support initiatives that promote inclusive and participatory approaches to security. Prof. Muhammad Auwal Sule, Country Director of Makizie International, commended the organisers and called for greater support from development and strategic partners to sustain the initiative.
The event also featured a strategic address on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, delivered by Col. Micah Yakubu, while the keynote address on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was delivered by Alh. Aminu Y. Sani. The addresses reinforced the importance of collaboration among government, security institutions, communities and other stakeholders in confronting the evolving nature of terrorism and insecurity.
A major highlight of the engagement was the strategic presentation delivered by Mr. Baba Ligbi on behalf of the Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah. The presentation focused on “Enhancing the Civilian Dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force to Combat Terrorism: Strategies and Priorities” and emphasised the need to reposition the civilian dimension of the ESF as an essential component of regional counterterrorism. It highlighted civil-military cooperation, civic engagement and community ownership, community stabilisation and resilience, community-based early warning, strategic communication and stronger partnerships as key areas requiring sustained regional attention. It further underscored the need to sustain the country level engagement, describing the idea of a West African CIMICO Centre Cell as apt.
The technical session subsequently provided a platform for stakeholders to interrogate the issues raised and identify practical actions for strengthening the civilian dimension of the ESF. The two syndicate sessions focused respectively on Understanding the Civilian Dimension of the ESF and Strategies for Civic Engagement, Early Warning and Community Stabilisation. The sessions were facilitated by David Smiley, Cleff G*i and Prof. Muhammad Auwal Sule, with participants contributing perspectives from security, diplomatic, development and civil society backgrounds.
The deliberations culminated in the adoption of a seven-point communiqué and resolution, affirming the civilian dimension of the ESF as a strategic pillar of regional counterterrorism. The resolutions endorsed the proposed West African CIMICO Centre Cell; called for the sustained and progressive replication of Country-Level Engagements across ECOWAS Member States; advocated stronger mechanisms for civic engagement, community-based early warning, community stabilisation and strategic communication; and encouraged enhanced civilian capacity through training, research, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships. The resolutions also called for deeper collaboration among ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations system, development partners, diplomatic missions, academia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders, with the outcomes expected to contribute to a Regional Action Roadmap on the civilian dimension of the ESF.
In recognition of their contributions to regional peace and security, the CIMICO Centre presented Service Commendation Plaques to the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and H.E. Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by Dr. Isaac Armstrong. The honours recognised the institutions and leadership for their support and contributions to strengthening regional security and civil-military cooperation.
The organisers said the launch of the West African CIMICO Centre Cell represents an important step towards institutionalising sustained civil-military cooperation across the region. The Cell is envisaged as a collaborative platform for knowledge sharing, civic engagement, community stabilisation, capacity development, policy dialogue and strategic partnerships, while working with relevant regional and national stakeholders to strengthen the civilian dimension of the ESF and support more resilient and secure communities across West Africa.
