Navies from Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, and Liberia have agreed to join a Nigerian-led regional initiative aimed at strengthening maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea, as West African states move to operationalise a new Combined Maritime Task Force under the ECOWAS security framework.
The commitment was reached during the 5th Meeting of the ECOWAS Sub-Committee of Chiefs of Naval Staff held in Ghana from 16 to 20 February 2026, where defence chiefs reviewed preparations for the deployment of a coordinated maritime response unit designed to tackle piracy, oil theft, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing.
According to the Nigerian Navy, which is driving the initiative in line with approvals from regional defence chiefs, the Combined Maritime Task Force is expected to become a rapid-response coalition capable of joint patrols and coordinated interventions across national waters. Nigeria has pledged operational support, including vessels, aerial surveillance assets, vehicles, and logistical infrastructure to support the launch.
The formal flag-off of the task force is scheduled to take place in Lagos between 31 May and 1 June 2026, marking what regional officials describe as a major step toward consolidating fragmented maritime patrol operations into a unified security architecture.
The initiative builds on the broader ECOWAS maritime security framework under the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy and aligns with the Yaoundé maritime security architecture, which connects regional coordination centres across West and Central Africa.
Officials from ECOWAS stressed that the new arrangement is designed not only to secure coastal waters but also to strengthen coordination with inland states affected by transnational crime networks, including terrorism-linked movements across the Sahel.
The meeting also drew participation from international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, reflecting growing global concern over insecurity in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.
Nigeria, through the Nigerian Navy, has positioned itself as the lead coordinator, highlighting existing surveillance capabilities and regional patrol operations already active in the Gulf of Guinea.
Security analysts say the participation of coastal states such as Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia signals renewed political will to confront maritime threats that have long strained regional economies and disrupted shipping routes.
If successfully implemented, the Combined Maritime Task Force would represent one of West Africa’s most structured naval cooperation frameworks in recent years, aimed at delivering faster response times and deeper intelligence sharing across national maritime boundaries.
