Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, has unveiled a three-pronged framework to combat terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel, focusing on integrated intelligence sharing, joint multinational military operations, and addressing the root causes of radicalisation.

Badaru made the proposal on Wednesday while declaring open a two-day Regional Conference on “Combating Emerging Terrorist Groups and Strengthening Sustainable Security in the ECOWAS/Sahel Region” at the Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja.

The event was organised by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission.

The minister said intelligence efforts must go beyond information sharing to full integration, with permanent platforms for real-time exchange on terrorist financing, movement, and recruitment. This, he said, would help anticipate and disrupt threats before they materialise.

He also called for the deployment of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to power regional early-warning systems.

On military strategy, Badaru emphasised the need to institutionalise joint and multinational operations under clear command structures.

“The operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force must be pursued with renewed vigour,” he said. “Harmonising legal frameworks across member states will ensure terrorists and their networks find no safe haven. The creation of a regional counterterrorism task force, fully trained and equipped for rapid deployment, is an initiative we must embrace.”

He stressed that capacity building is critical, noting that security forces require both modern equipment and advanced training to meet evolving threats.

Beyond military action, Badaru said the region must confront the socio-economic conditions that fuel radicalisation. Poverty, unemployment, exclusion, and poor governance, he noted, create fertile ground for extremist ideologies.

“Investing in education, strengthening community resilience, and ensuring good governance are equally critical to our long-term security,” he said. “Winning hearts and minds will deny extremist groups the local support they rely on.”

Badaru lamented that past responses to terrorism have been fragmented, with national efforts proving inadequate against a transnational threat.

“Terrorism spreads whenever it finds weaknesses in our shared defences,” he warned. “Security in one country is inseparable from the security of its neighbours.”

He described terrorism as one of the greatest threats to peace and stability in the region, citing porous borders, weak governance, and ungoverned spaces as enablers of extremist activity.

The minister urged the conference to produce a clear, actionable roadmap for collective security, deepened collaboration, and sustainable peace in the region.