Touray declared this during the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the events of the last few weeks had shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of democracy and the urgent need to invest in the sub-region’s security.

According to him, country-by-country analyses of member states shows different risk levels across the sub-region from high to medium, with a high risk average, which requires immediate and concerted action.

“Faced with this situation, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency.

“We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve.

“For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organised more regularly beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year.

“We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries.

“We must therefore take decisions and actions that will reverse this trend,” he said.

Touray said elections in the sub-region had become a major trigger of instability, notwithstanding

ECOWAS’ best efforts to establish constitutional convergence principles, and safeguard its democratic credentials and stability.

In line with the emergency, he said the MSC must constantly monitor the political and security situation in West Africa with a view to providing guidance and enabling regional action.

He said that ECOWAS must also negotiate with its Alliance of Sahel States (AES) neighbours, particularly regarding their security cooperation amid the devastating effect of terrorism along their common borders.

“In the coming days and months into next year, we will be witnessing elections in Guinea, Republic of Benin, the Gambia, and Cape Verde.

“We will also be managing the post-events relating to the coup in Guinea-Bissau and the coup attempt in the Republic of Benin,” he said.

The commission’s president said that West Africa was also confronted with  humanitarian challenges whereby families, women and children bore the brunt of instability.

He said that as of Oct. 2025, approximately 7.6 million individuals were forcibly displaced across West and Central Africa, reflecting an increase from 7.4 million recorded in March.

Touray said that of this figure, 6,506,270 were internally displaced persons (IDPs), with Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali accounting for the highest figures, quoting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees sources.

“Additionally, there are 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers. An analysis of asylum seeker distribution shows that the ten countries hosting the largest populations, in descending order, are Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, and Gambia.

“Let me assure our community citizens that we will not rest on our oars. We will continue to work harder to promote peaceful, stable and stronger region for the overall benefit of Community citizens.

“Let us all remain committed to preserving regional unity, advancing peace, and upholding the Community’s Constitutional Convergence Principles,” he said.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Timothy Kabba, warned that the sub-region’s escalating political and security turbulence threatened democratic governance and eroded public confidence.

“Our citizens are understandably anxious. They are looking to us not just for expressions of concern, but for leadership that translates commitment into action.

“Our resolutions must go beyond rhetoric, our people no longer have patience for commitments that remain unpaid. They expect seriousness, unity and purpose,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting aimed at reviewing the sub-region’s political and security landscape with a view to developing strategic actions to address emerging challenges.

ECOWAS Commission President, Dr Omar Touray, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS initiative on economic integration through trade, environment and agriculture.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event was: “Regional Interventions Towards Economic Integration in West Africa.”

It is a series of technical meetings organised by ECOWAS to foster regional economic development and integration.

Touray, represented by Vice President Damtien Tchintchibidja, said ECOWAS was implementing initiatives to accelerate regional integration, promote trade, boost agriculture, protect the environment, and accelerate inclusive regional economic growth.

“ECOWAS is implementing a portfolio of strategic projects aimed at strengthening industrial development, promoting trade, boosting agricultural productivity, improving food and nutritional security, and accelerating inclusive economic growth in all member states.

“From promoting the free movement of goods and services, to accelerating infrastructural development and maintaining peace and security, our journey has not been without challenges.

“However, it has been marked by resilience and a steadfast commitment to regional integration.

“These initiatives aim to give operational content to ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the broader objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” Touray said.

He said that agriculture remained the backbone of the sub-region’s economy, employing millions, but noted that notwithstanding various interventions, the sub-region still faced a high level of food insecurity.

According to the commission’s president, 12 per cent of West African people are currently suffering from food insecurity.

“Guided by the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), our interventions aim to modernise production, strengthen value chains, and promote agribusiness that is inclusive and competitive.

“Furthermore, we are advancing the West Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health initiatives, which are critical for improving productivity, restoring degraded lands, and ensuring sustainable food systems.

“By investing in soil health and fertilizer access, we are laying the foundation for resilient agriculture that can feed our people and create jobs for our youth and women,” he said.

Touray said environmental protection through plastic pollution management was another key priority, stressing that tackling plastic waste would safeguard ecosystems, protect public health, and create opportunities for recycling industries that generate jobs.

He said that ECOWAS was also unlocking new opportunities for enhancing intra-regional and continental trade through harmonised policies, effective elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers and liberalisation of markets.

The commission’s president said that ECOWAS was also committed to advancing regional strategies that would promote renewable energy, sustainable land use, and resilience against climate shocks.

“This is to allow for more Trade in both goods and services through the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and African Continental Free Trade Area.

“Furthermore, ECOWAS continues to make significant advancements towards leveraging technology to accelerate structural change through the implementation of the E-Commerce Strategy.

“As we continue towards economic integration, we take this opportunity to present these interventions as stepping stones toward realising this long-term vision of shared prosperity and sustainable development,” he added.

Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said that trade, agriculture and the environment were bound together by the shared reality that each one shaped the success of the others.

According to him, the three sectors cannot not be treated as separate pillars because they form a system whereby agricultural productivity drives regional trade, while environmental stewardship protects the foundation upon which both depend.

Kyari noted that ECOWAS had translated Africa’s agricultural priorities into regional action through the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy, adopted in 2005, “which currently guides agricultural planning and investment in West Africa.”

He said that Nigeria’s agricultural policy was in full alignment with “the ECOWAS vision of a West Africa that feeds itself, trades with confidence and grows together.”

The minister said that ECOWAS member states’ collective commitment remained the foundation on which regional prosperity would be built, adding that their strength would reflect the strength of their collaboration.

Kyari called for harmonised efforts across member states, the strengthening of regional standards, deeper coordination in policy implementation and the continuous exchange of knowledge.

“The task before us is to translate our shared aspirations into practical and achievable actions.

“Therefore, strengthening regional quality control, harmonising standards and improving access are essential for the region’s agricultural future,” he said.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, described the event as a pivotal moment in the region’s collective aspiration to promote sustainable economic growth, deepen regional integration and strengthen environmental governance.

He said that ECOWAS’ integrated approach toward enhancing trade policies, agricultural systems, environmental standards and industrialisation, aligned with regional value chains of enhanced food security, market access, and transition to green economy.

The minister expressed Nigeria’s commitment to working collaboratively with all ECOWAS member states to harmonise regional standards, promote knowledge exchange, and build capacity for effective implementation.

Lawal said that plastic pollution remained one of the most universal environmental challenges confronting the sub-region.

He added that across West Africa, over 2 million tonnes of plastic waste were generated annually.

“Inadequate waste management systems, increasing urbanisation, and the exponential growth in plastic consumption have created serious threats to human health, biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, and agricultural productivity.

“With a significant percentage ending up in waterways, drainage channels, ocean bodies or open dumps, this poses major risks to food security, climate resilience, public health and economic livelihoods,” he said.

He made this known at the African Public Square (APS) Second Continental Edition Conference on Friday in Abuja, with the theme: Future Proofing Regional Integration in Africa: ECOWAS @50.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that APS is a platform that was created to instigate debates on African peace, security and development among African public intellectuals of diverse backgrounds.

Convened by Amandla Institute and African Leadership Centre, the event brought together leaders, policymakers, and academics to examine how ECOWAS can redefine its integration framework amid growing political, economic, and security challenges.

Touray, represented by Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the commission had commenced a series of introspective talks toward addressing ECOWAS’ entire integration framework.

According to him, the process is citizens-led and the outcome of all deliberations will end up in a draft pact that will determine the path that ECOWAS will take in the next 15 years.

“I would argue that we have a crisis of security, and then we have a crisis of democracy in West Africa today.

“We have to navigate between a lot that has been said about terrorism, violence, terrorism, and others.

“Democracy is also in crisis. It is in crisis today in West Africa and it doesn’t seem like leaders have learned their lesson,” he said.

He traced the evolution of ECOWAS from its formation in 1975 amid linguistic and colonial divides to its resilience during post-Cold War conflicts and the current struggle to navigate internal democratic crises in a shifting global order.

Touray warned that the world was entering what he termed a “warm war” era a phase of global realignments and strategic rivalry and urged West Africa to make deliberate choices to protect its collective interests.

He decried the growing political exclusion in some member states, which he said, undermined democracy and contributed to the Sahel state’s recent withdrawal from the regional bloc.

“Only renewed commitment to inclusivity, good governance, and dialogue can bring the estranged members back into the ECOWAS family.

“Today’s popular method of team capture is by member states eliminating dangerous opponents, whether political parties or candidates, from the electoral process,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State and onetime Minister of Solid Minerals, attributed West Africa’s security crisis to governance failures, as opposed to insurgency.

He argued that corruption, exclusion, and weak institutions had done greater damage to regional stability than armed groups.

Fayemi, who is also the co–founder of Amandla Institute, warned that no amount of military firepower would bring lasting peace without addressing the root causes of public discontent.

“West Africa’s escalating insecurity is rooted less in the gunfire of insurgents and more in the failures of governance that have eroded public trust, Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State has said.

“What we face is not just a security deficit, it’s a governance deficit. Until we rebuild trust between leaders and citizens, insecurity will remain our daily reality,” he said.

Fayemi said the resurgence of coups and violent extremism across the region reflected citizens’ deepening loss of faith in democratic governance.

He also warned that military takeovers, however well-intentioned, would not cure the underlying inequality, unemployment, and poverty that continued to feed instability.

The former governor urged ECOWAS to move from rhetoric to reform, adopting a people-first security strategy anchored on justice, accountability, and inclusion.

“Genuine stability will only emerge when citizens see democracy working for them, not against them,” he said.

Fayemi described ECOWAS’ Golden Jubilee as a “moment for deep reflection” on the trajectory of regional integration.

While lauding ECOWAS’s early role in promoting peace and democracy through interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, he cautioned that the organisation currently risked losing touch with its citizens.

“ECOWAS must move beyond an elite-driven community of rulers to one that truly represents its people, particularly the youth and women.

“Overdependence on donor funding and stalled reforms threaten its long-term relevance,” he said.

Godwin Murunga, Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), said that integration must move beyond state-centric models to people-led movements.

Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President, International Engagement, King’s College, London, called for a “cross-generational pathway” to regional transformation.

“With an average age of just 18, West Africa’s young population represents both a challenge and a reservoir of potential,” she said.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, made the call on Tuesday during an Oxfam/Partners and ECOWAS Strategic Meeting in Abuja.

Touray stressed the need for stronger collaboration in areas such as civic inclusion, governance, peace, security, economic integration, and climate justice.

He highlighted the five pillars of Vision 2050 to include peace, security, governance, economic integration, sustainable development, and social inclusion.

Touray said  that Civil Society Organisations have a critical role to play in popularizing, owning and implementing the regional body’s programmes.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission said the bloc was determined to actualise its four key strategic objectives under its ‘4 by 4 Agenda’:

“This entails enhancing peace and security, deepening governance, promoting inclusive and sustainable development, and accelerating regional integration.

“These align with Oxfam’s advocacy areas, making the partnership mutually beneficial.

“There is urgent need to curb terrorism, strengthen community early warning systems, address infrastructure and energy gaps, and break down non-tariff barriers that hinder free movement and trade within the bloc,” Touray said.

He also urged joint efforts to tackle disinformation, which he described as a growing security threat in West Africa.

On climate justice, he said that climate financing was not a charity but ‘a necessity in our common interest,’

He, therefore, urged civil society groups to help amplify the voices of vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.

“This collaboration is important because peace and prosperity in the region cannot be achieved without the active participation of civil society,” the ECOWAS President said.

He  assured Oxfam of the commission’s readiness to pursue concrete, practical programmes together.

Earlier, John Makina, Country Director Oxfam in Nigeria, said that both ECOWAS and Oxfam shared common goals which included reducing poverty and inequality, promoting sustainable development and enhancing regional cooperation.

“Oxfam is also working to address issues around poverty, inequality, issues around injustices, and promoting economic inclusion, climate change, and accountability.

“The work that we are doing within Oxfam is cutting across a number of areas. So within the West African region, there is Nigeria, Senegal, and Ghana.

“Together, ECOWAS and Oxfam with her partners can amplify the voices of marginalised communities and promote policies that benefit the most venerable,” Makina said.

He, therefore, urged ECOWAS to foster partnerships with civil society organisations, private sector and the media to promote ECOWAS’  regional integration agenda

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy  Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Rafsanjani assured the gathering of the organisation’ s commitment to support ECOWAS.

“Peace and security is one critical issue that is facing the region.  There is no way we in the civil society will not give our support to the community to ensure that that is done.

“We also know that one of the visions  of ECOWAS is to ensure that the economic sustainability and reliance of the region is achieved.

“CISLAC,  through its works around tax justice, will continue to collaborate and work with ECOWAS and Oxfam to ensure that is also done,” he said.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced plans to activate a 260,000-strong rapid deployment counter-terrorism brigade to strengthen the fight against terrorism in the subregion.

The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, made the announcement on monday at the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja. Touray was represented by Amb. Abdel-Fattah Musah, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, at the ECOWAS Commission.

The creation of the brigade is a major step in the region’s commitment to addressing its security challenges through a unified and coordinated military effort.

Touray said the force would provide logistics and financial support to frontline states, adding that Ministers of Finance and Defence from member countries would meet in Abuja on Friday to finalise modalities for an annual 2.5 billion dollar budget.

“This bold initiative has become necessary given the asymmetric security dynamics in our region.

“We are conscious of the fact that this requires the necessary financial resources and capabilities to make it a reality.

“ECOWAS is therefore throwing the gauntlet to bilateral and multilateral partners to complement this daring regional effort,” he said.

The ECOWAS leader explained that the force would complement the African Union’s standby force framework under the African Peace and Security Architecture.

He stressed that the Sahel region had become the epicentre of global terrorism, accounting for 51 per cent of terrorism deaths worldwide in 2024.

According to him, local communities, women and children in particular, have borne the brunt of state retreats and coercive protection of jihadi forces.

“The war economy from illegal mining and illicit taxation is also worsening insecurity,” he added.

Touray urged the AU and the UN to support regional counter-terrorism operations, reminding participants of the UN Security Council Resolution 2719 of December 2023 which pledged to fund 75 per cent of African-led peace support operations.