Representatives attending the 42nd regular meeting of ECOWAS Chiefs of General Staff on August 7 in Nigeria. (Source: PR Nigeria)

According to PR Nigeria news site, the meeting was chaired by the host country's Chief of General Staff, General Christopher Musa, who is also Chairman of the ECOWAS Military Chiefs of General Staff Committee.

Senior diplomatic and defense officials of the host country Nigeria, along with the Chiefs of Staff and Chiefs of General Staff of several ECOWAS member countries attended the event.

The military chiefs of staff of Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Togo were absent.

The presence of military leaders shows commitment to peace in the region, said General Christopher Musa, adding that the complexity of the security landscape requires intelligence sharing across the region.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Political, Peace and Security Affairs, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, said that this meeting will allow leaders to review the implementation of decisions made at the previous meeting, which took place in August 2023.

In addition, the military leaders will also discuss a top issue, which is the roadmap for activating the ECOWAS combat force to fight terrorism.

Speaking at the event, Nigerian Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, called on the ECOWAS Military Chiefs of Staff Committee to strengthen security cooperation among its members to enhance defence capacity against all security threats.

Mr. Badaru stressed the importance of joint efforts in combating terrorism, cross-border crimes and hybrid threats as well as the need to strengthen regional security cooperation to protect countries and promote sustainable development.