• ECOWAS held regional peacekeeping logistics training in Lagos from Nov. 3-7
• Sessions focused on deployment planning, mission support, and coordination
• Training aims to boost mission readiness amid rising West African security crises
  

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hosted its third annual logistics training for peace operations in Lagos, Nigeria, from Nov. 3 to 7. The event brought together military, police, and civilian personnel from several member states to strengthen logistics planning and management for regional missions.

Improving Coordination and Efficiency

The session was led by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security (DPKRS) and the Peace Support Operations Division. It covered deployment planning, mission support, and end-of-operation procedures.

Bekaye Coulibaly, Head of the Civilian Component and representative of the DPKRS Director, opened the session alongside General Adewale Collins Adetoba, Commandant of the Nigeria College of Logistics and Management, and General Hassan Lai, former Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force.

ECOWAS says the initiative is part of its effort to make peace missions more professional. It aims to ensure equipment readiness, streamline supply chains, and improve coordination among military, police, and civilian components. By training logistics personnel, ECOWAS hopes to reduce reliance on external partners, use field resources more efficiently, and improve mission response in the face of regional crises.

Training Amid Rising Regional Crises

The training comes amid a resurgence of security crises across Africa. The Sahel region, in particular, remains the scene of frequent armed-group attacks, with thousands of military and police personnel deployed in regional operations.

A 2024 report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the number of forcibly displaced or stateless people in West and Central Africa had reached 12.4 million, including 8.2 million internally displaced persons.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou