President Bola Tinubu has said ECOWAS will continue to persuade the military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to return their nations to the fold.

The President, who doubles as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, made the plea at a meeting with ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff on Friday in Abuja.

He said, ”It is in our hearts to make sure that security is enhanced and that constitutional government is defended and promoted in our region.

”It has been a challenging tenure for me since three members indicated their exit. We will work hard to persuade them to return, whichever way.

”No one man is smarter than the group of heads that is here. We will do everything to offer a hand of friendship to them and give them reasons to come back to us.”

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The ECOWAS Chairman lauded the defence chiefs for their commitment to regional stability and protection of constitutional governance.

”The solution to terrorism and other challenges lies in our hands. We have to do it together. The ECOWAS standby force must be ready. We will continue to invest in this, as well as in the economic prosperity and opportunities across our region,” President Tinubu said.

General Christopher Musa, the Chairman ECOWAS Chief of Defence Staff, informed the President that the defence chiefs had agreed that challenges in the region, such as insurgency and unconstitutional changes in government, must be addressed collectively.

According to him, discussions at the meeting also focused on enhancing the capacity of ECOWAS military component, including the proposed standby force.

He announced that a decision had been made to deploy 1,200 troops to Sierra Leone, with countries making pledges to support this effort.

”We are aware that the ECOWAS ministers of finance will meet to discuss the issue of funding, which is another very critical aspect. We also looked at the issue of logistics,” he said.

Highlighting the balance between military efforts and the political components of good governance, peace and security as essential for achieving long-term stability, General Musa pledged the commitment of the defence chiefs to work in unison to ensure the security and safety of the West African sub-region.