Leaders from several West African countries have agreed to pursue a more structured and coordinated approach to regional security cooperation in response to the escalating threat of terrorism, cross-border crime and deepening insecurity across the sub-region.
The commitment was reached at the conclusion of a two-day High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra from January 29 to 30, 2026. The meeting was chaired by Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, with Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Joseph Boakai of Liberia leading their respective delegations.
Delegations from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo also participated in the conference, which focused on the deteriorating security situation in West Africa. Leaders described the surge in terrorist attacks, violent extremism and civilian casualties as an urgent threat to regional stability, economic activity and social cohesion.
The conference built on earlier technical sessions involving Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, as well as heads of intelligence agencies from participating countries. Development partners, including the African Union Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), along with civil society organisations, contributed to the discussions.
Participants agreed that current responses to insecurity have been fragmented and largely reactive. Consequently, the conference resolved to work toward establishing a permanent framework for cooperation to strengthen collective action, improve intelligence and information sharing, and address the underlying drivers of insecurity across borders.
A major outcome of the meeting was a renewed emphasis on a human security approach, with leaders acknowledging that military action alone cannot deliver sustainable peace. They pledged to prioritise governance reforms, job creation, access to education and healthcare, and community-based peacebuilding as integral components of national and regional security strategies.
On counterterrorism, leaders agreed to enhance intelligence cooperation, harmonise legal frameworks to facilitate cross-border prosecution of terrorism-related offences, and expand deradicalisation and prevention programmes while upholding human rights. Efforts to combat the trafficking of arms, narcotics and persons were also underscored.
To strengthen border security, participants committed to exploring joint operational measures, including possible “hot pursuit” arrangements through bilateral or multilateral agreements. They further agreed to develop a foundational Memorandum of Understanding on regional cooperation and security within six months, with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs mandated to lead the drafting process.
The conference also addressed humanitarian and climate-related challenges, recognising climate change as a growing driver of conflict, food insecurity and displacement. Leaders agreed to integrate climate and food security considerations into regional peace and security planning and to work toward a shared framework for disaster preparedness and humanitarian response.
At the close of the meeting, participants agreed to institutionalise the consultative conference as a biannual platform and to establish a mechanism for monitoring and tracking the implementation of agreed decisions.
Nigeria was represented at the conference by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
