Various actors, including the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and representatives from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several Training Centres of Excellence from across the region recently gathered in a strategic cooperation meeting under the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project.

The meeting was organised with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration among institutions working to promote stability in West Africa.

Zibrim Ayorrogo who represented KAIPTC, emphasised the importance of closer cooperation between ECOWAS and regional training centres in supporting the region’s peace and security architecture. He noted that the gathering offered an important opportunity to review the existing memorandum of understanding between ECOWAS and the Centres of Excellence and to identify ways of strengthening their joint work.

According to Ayorrogo, deeper collaboration can help improve training programmes, advance research, and strengthen policy advocacy efforts that support peace support operations and effective governance in West Africa. He also highlighted the growing importance of digitalisation initiatives in improving knowledge-sharing and coordination among regional institutions.

The meeting also featured remarks from Teresa Krafft, who reaffirmed Germany’s long-standing partnership with ECOWAS and the region’s training centres. She said the gathering reflected a shared commitment among partners to strengthen peace, security, and governance structures across West Africa.

The meeting also served as a platform for reflection on the progress achieved under the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project while also identifying areas where deeper collaboration could help address emerging security threats in the region.

West Africa continues to face a range of complex challenges, including violent extremism, political instability, and governance pressures in several countries. Strengthening coordination between regional institutions and training centres is seen as a key step in building the capacity needed to respond effectively to these threats.

Through initiatives such as this cooperation meeting, partners hope to deepen collaboration, enhance institutional capacity, and support sustainable peace efforts across the region.