Nigeria to Host ECOWAS Combined Maritime Task Force Flag-Off in Lagos May 2026
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Admiralty Medal, joined his counterparts at the Fifth Meeting of the ECOWAS Sub-Committee of Chiefs of the Naval Staff held in Accra, Ghana, from 16–20 February 2026.
The meeting brought together Chiefs of the Naval Staff from ECOWAS member states alongside the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (ECOWAS-CPAPS), His Excellency Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah. Also in attendance were Directors of the West Africa Regional Maritime Security Centre, the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centres (MMCC) Zones E, F and G, representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union-African Chamber of Commerce, and the Commander of the Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF).
In his remarks, Ambassador Musah commended the progress made since the adoption of the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy, highlighting the successful conduct of Operation SAFE DOMAIN in Zone E, Operation ANOUANZE in Zone F, and Joint Maritime Patrols in MMCC Zone G. He emphasized the need for enhanced regional cooperation to tackle terrorism, drug trafficking, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Commissioner further stressed the importance of stronger collaboration with landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to combat terrorism and transnational organised crime.
Ambassador Musah also acknowledged Nigeria’s deployment of the sophisticated FALCON EYE Surveillance System and its leadership role in combating maritime criminality in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). Additionally, he urged member states to consider strategic measures to address the receding water levels in the Lake Chad Basin.
In line with the approval of the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to operationalise the Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) through a coalition of ready nations, five countries—Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—expressed interest in joining Nigeria in the initiative.
The official flag-off of the CMTF is scheduled to take place in Lagos from 31 May to 1 June 2026. The meeting commended Nigeria, as host nation, for its substantial support towards the launch of the Task Force, including the designation of three ships, one helicopter, eight vehicles, and the provision of a temporary furnished office facility in Lagos.
The CMTF is envisioned as a ready-to-deploy force capable of rapid and coordinated regional maritime security responses. It will leverage intelligence and information sharing from maritime centres within the Yaoundé Architecture to address evolving and complex security threats across the Gulf of Guinea.
Vice Admiral Idi Abbas’ strategic engagements at the meeting reaffirm Nigeria’s pivotal role in promoting maritime security in West Africa. His sustained commitment to collaboration under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct is expected to strengthen regional coordination, enhance the exchange of best practices, and advance African-led solutions for collective maritime security across the region.
The Nigerian Navy remains steadfast in its resolve to work with regional and international partners to ensure safer and more secure maritime domains in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.
