ECOWAS Standby Force Chief of Staff Brigadier General Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi met Nigerian Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas at Naval Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, 11 September 2026, covering regional security, maritime cooperation, strategic mobility, logistics support and operational readiness.
Brigadier General Massaquoi was accompanied by military staff officers of the ECOWAS Standby Force and the Peace Support Operations Division of the ECOWAS Commission, according to a report from the Economic Community of West African States.
During the engagement, the ECOWAS Standby Force chief conveyed greetings from the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s contribution to regional peace and security initiatives.
He acknowledged the Nigerian Navy’s role in supporting ECOWAS operations and highlighted the importance of strengthening the maritime dimension of the regional security architecture.
Vice Admiral Abbas called for stronger regional maritime cooperation and greater participation by African militaries in collective efforts to address common security challenges.
He briefly referenced the Combined Maritime Task Force–Gulf of Guinea as one of the initiatives capable of promoting cooperation among regional states in addressing maritime security threats.
The naval chief also recalled the Nigerian Navy’s strategic sealift of military hardware to Guinea-Bissau in 2022, when NNS KADA transported equipment for the Nigerian contingent deployed under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission.
According to the account, the operation demonstrated the Nigerian Navy’s capacity to provide strategic maritime logistics support for regional peace and security initiatives.
Vice Admiral Abbas underscored the need for stronger cooperation between the military component of the ECOWAS Commission and regional military institutions, noting that contemporary security threats increasingly cut across national boundaries and require coordinated responses, shared intelligence, interoperability and sustained collaboration among member states.
He further called for sustained efforts to strengthen the ECOWAS Standby Force so that it remains operationally ready and capable of responding effectively to transnational security threats, including terrorism, insurgency and organised cross-border crime.
The naval chief stressed that the interconnected nature of the region’s security challenges requires a coordinated approach anchored on shared intelligence, interoperable forces, effective logistics support and sustained political commitment.
Brigadier General Massaquoi thanked the Nigerian Navy for its continued support to ECOWAS initiatives and thanked the naval chief for approving the strategic sealift support and movement of Chinese-donated ECOWAS equipment destined for frontline countries including Benin Republic and Sierra Leone.
He described the support as an example of the importance of regional logistics and mobility in supporting collective security efforts, and reiterated the importance of strengthening cooperation between the military component of the ECOWAS Commission and regional military institutions, particularly in enhancing operational readiness, mobility and collective response capabilities.
The courtesy visit provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on regional security challenges and reaffirm their commitment to enhanced cooperation, interoperability, strategic mobility and the development of a more responsive regional security architecture within the West African sub-region.
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