..Regional bloc adopts aggressive new doctrine
..Sanctions cheaper air travel, appoints Dangote to lead business council
Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
In a decisive shift from reactive sanctions to pre-emptive action, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have resolved to deploy a โproactive and forceful united frontโ to stamp out the spread of military coups and insecurity in the region.
The resolution, taken on Sunday at the 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, was directly inspired by the blocโs swift military intervention that thwarted a coup dโรฉtat in the Republic of Benin earlier this month.
The summit, chaired by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, saw regional powers signal an end to protracted diplomatic wrangling in favour of rapid military and diplomatic intervention at the first sign of unconstitutional power grabs.
The โBenin Modelโ of Rapid Response
The sessionโs defining context was the events of 7 December 2025, when, within hours of soldiers seizing the national broadcaster in Cotonou, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria authorised the deployment of Nigerian fighter jets and ground troops to support loyalist forces.
This operation, hailed as a successful test case for regional solidarity, now forms the blueprint for the blocโs future security strategy.
In his address delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu framed the regionโs crisesโincluding โincessant coups,โ terrorism, arms proliferation, and food insecurityโas borderless threats demanding a collective response.
โNo single Member State, regardless of size or strength, can achieve enduring stability in isolation. Our security, prosperity, and resilience are indivisible. We must sit at the same table, speak with one voice, and act with shared resolve,โ Mr Tinubu stated.
He reaffirmed Nigeriaโs โunwavering commitment to collective action,โ describing regional unity as โfoundationalโ and insisting that โfraternity, not force, must define the future of ECOWAS.โ
A Defining Moment for West Africa
President Bio, in his opening remarks, characterised the summit as โa defining moment for ECOWAS and a turning point for over 400 million West Africans.โ
He singled out Nigeria for โtaking the lead in safeguarding constitutional order in the Benin Republic,โ and applauded the countryโs โwin-win leadership across the region.โ
Echoing the sentiment, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, stated that the recent instability in Guinea-Bissau and the attempted coup in Benin โwere addressed following a swift response led by President Bola Tinubu.โ
He emphasised that the events โhave demonstrated what regional solidarity can achieve.โ
Beyond Security: Cheaper Flights and a Business Titan
Alongside the landmark security resolution, the summit yielded significant socio-economic announcements.
President Bio disclosed that from January 2026, ECOWAS will implement measures to drastically reduce the cost of air travel within the region. Member states have agreed to abolish various air transport taxes, a move long advocated by businesses and citizens.
In a major private-sector development, Dr Touray announced that Africaโs wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, has accepted the role of Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council.
The council is designed to facilitate critical dialogue between governments and the private sector to drive regional development.
External Backing and a Warning Against Division
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, represented by Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, endorsed the ECOWAS stance.
He labelled the attempted coup in Benin and instability in Guinea-Bissau as โunacceptable to the African Unionโ and called for scaled-up coordination to advance democracy.
Despite the show of unity, President Tinubu injected a note of caution, lamenting the โsteep descent into internal disagreementโ that has recently shaken the bloc.
โA community is only as strong as the trust its members repose in one another. We are most vulnerable not when challenged from outside, but when weakened from within,โ he warned.
The summit concluded with leaders expressing gratitude for Nigeriaโs hosting role and a renewed, if fragile, commitment to present a solidary front against forces threatening constitutional governance in West Africa.
Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications
(Office of the Vice President)


































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