Nigeria Raises Alarm Over ECOWAS Rift, Says Sahel Exit Has Weakened Regional Integration

ABUJA — Nigeria has warned that the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has created a significant setback for regional integration and complicated efforts to maintain effective economic and security cooperation across West Africa.

The warning came from Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, during a policy colloquium organised by the Ministry of Defence in Abuja on Thursday.

Dare’s remarks highlighted an increasingly complex regional environment in which economic integration, border security and defence cooperation are becoming closely interconnected.

Three Sahel countries reshape West African regional politics

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally ceased to be ECOWAS members on January 29, 2025, after previously notifying the organisation of their intention to withdraw.

ECOWAS had acknowledged the withdrawal under Article 91 of its Revised Treaty and established a transitional period while keeping channels for dialogue open. The bloc also announced interim arrangements intended to prevent an immediate disruption to trade and movement involving citizens of the three countries.

The three military-led governments have subsequently deepened their cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), creating a separate regional framework outside ECOWAS.

For Nigeria, the development represents more than a diplomatic disagreement. It has implications for one of the region’s longstanding ambitions: creating an increasingly integrated West African economic space where people, goods and services can move more easily across national borders.

ECOWAS itself has acknowledged that the withdrawal affects areas including market access, economic integration, peace and security cooperation and regional development programmes.

Why the withdrawal matters to regional trade

Dare argued that the rupture has weakened mechanisms designed to support economic integration.

The consequences are particularly important because West African economies are heavily connected through cross-border commerce. Traders, transport operators, manufacturers and consumers routinely depend on predictable movement between neighbouring countries.

ECOWAS has historically supported this integration through initiatives such as its Free Movement Protocol and ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

Although the regional bloc initially maintained measures allowing citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to continue benefiting from visa-free movement and existing trade arrangements during the transition, the long-term relationship between ECOWAS and the three AES countries remains a major regional policy issue.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply whether the three countries are formally outside ECOWAS. It is how West African governments manage the practical consequences for businesses, transport corridors, border communities and regional security.

Nigeria pushes back against claims that its borders are closed

A major part of Dare’s presentation focused on Nigeria’s borders.

He rejected claims that Nigeria had shut its borders, insisting that the country’s entry and exit points remain open but are subject to controls administered by immigration, customs and security agencies.

According to Dare, describing a border as “open” should not be confused with allowing unrestricted movement.

He stressed that effective border management is necessary to support legitimate economic activity while preventing security threats from exploiting poorly controlled entry points.

The distinction is particularly significant for Nigeria, which shares land borders with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon and occupies a strategic position within West Africa’s trade and security network.

Dare also cautioned politicians against turning border-security policies into electoral talking points.

Security and economic integration increasingly overlap

The debate over ECOWAS integration is taking place against a wider security crisis across parts of West Africa.

The Sahel has experienced persistent militant violence, political instability and disputes over the role of regional and international security organisations. The withdrawal of the three countries has therefore affected not only economic integration but also the architecture through which West African states have traditionally approached regional security.

ECOWAS has responded by working on contingency arrangements covering areas including political relations, economic integration, security cooperation and development. The organisation has also had to address the relocation of some of its institutions previously hosted in Burkina Faso and Mali.

For Nigeria, the development raises a particularly important question: how can cross-border security cooperation continue when neighbouring states no longer operate within the same regional political framework?

Defence Minister calls for a more technology-driven security architecture

At the Abuja colloquium, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa (retd.) said Nigeria’s security strategy must evolve alongside the threats facing the country.

Musa said national security challenges now extend across multiple domains, including land, maritime territory, airspace and cyberspace.

He called for stronger coordination among the Armed Forces and other security institutions, particularly through intelligence sharing, joint operations and improved interoperability.

The minister also pointed to the growing importance of technology in modern defence.

Artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies and cyber capabilities are increasingly influencing how countries detect, prevent and respond to security threats.

Nigeria’s defence establishment, he said, must therefore invest not only in equipment but also in personnel, doctrine and institutions capable of making effective use of emerging technologies.

The Defence Ministry currently describes Musa’s mandate as including the strategic modernisation of Nigeria’s defence architecture and protection of the country’s territorial integrity.

What happens next for ECOWAS and the AES?

The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has created a new political map for West Africa, but it does not necessarily mean that cooperation between ECOWAS and the three countries has ended.

ECOWAS has repeatedly indicated that it wants to preserve dialogue and protect practical arrangements affecting ordinary citizens and businesses.

The bloc’s challenge now is finding a workable relationship with the AES while maintaining the benefits of regional integration among its remaining members.

For Nigeria, the stakes are particularly high.

As West Africa’s largest economy and one of the region’s most influential political and security actors, Nigeria has a direct interest in maintaining functioning trade corridors, controlling cross-border security threats and preventing further fragmentation of regional institutions.

The coming period will therefore test whether West Africa can maintain economic and security cooperation despite the emergence of competing regional frameworks.

For businesses and citizens, the most important issues to watch will be cross-border trade rules, movement requirements, border procedures and the future relationship between ECOWAS and the AES countries.

The wider question is whether West Africa can preserve the practical gains of decades of integration while navigating a region increasingly divided by political, security and strategic differences.