SAT AUG 29 2026-theGBJournal| The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a series of strategic publications documenting three decades of regional peace interventions, mediation efforts and peacebuilding initiatives, in a push to preserve institutional memory and use lessons from past conflicts to confront West Africa’s evolving security threats.
The publications, unveiled in Abuja on 27 August 2026, are designed to capture operational lessons from the Community’s experience in addressing conflict and instability and strengthen evidence-based approaches to peace and security across the region.
The initiative provides a comprehensive body of knowledge intended to support more effective responses to contemporary and emerging security challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism.
The launch brought together policymakers, defence and security leaders, diplomats, scholars and development partners, including Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa; ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah; ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Dr. Wakiby Bappah; the Chair of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee, H.E. Ambassador Nicolas Auguste Nyouky; and members of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Togolese Republic.
Also attending were former ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security, H.E Salamatu Suleiman; Founder of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, H.E Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Eghosa Osaghae.
Representatives of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), former senior officials of the ECOWAS Commission, representatives of academic institutions, and other strategic partners also joined the discussions.
The gathering focused on the importance of preserving regional knowledge, strengthening institutional learning and drawing on lessons from past interventions to deepen regional cooperation and improve the response to terrorism, violent extremism and other evolving threats confronting West Africa.
The initiative comes as the region continues to face complex security challenges, making the preservation and practical use of ECOWAS’ accumulated experience in mediation, peacebuilding and regional interventions increasingly important.
By documenting its past interventions, the regional bloc is seeking to ensure that the lessons accumulated over three decades remain accessible to policymakers, security institutions, researchers and other stakeholders as they respond to new and emerging threats.
At the occasion, former ECOMOG Commanders and their Deputies, as well as journalists who reported on the Civil Wars from the frontlines in the region, were honoured for their sacrifice to the region.
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