Nigeria: Africa Must Deepen Security Cooperation to Tackle Terrorism, Crime, Gambian President, Nigeria Coas, IGP Charge

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a This Day report, says African political and security figures used the 19th Africa Security Watch Conference and Awards in Banjul, The Gambia, to press for deeper cooperation against terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime and violent extremism. The meeting was held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre and brought together ministers, military officers, police leaders, diplomats and security specialists from across the continent.

According to the report, Gambian President Adama Barrow was represented by Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang, who described Africa’s security risks as increasingly connected and said the Sahel had become a major centre of terrorism. He cited threats including transnational crime, irregular migration, maritime insecurity, cybercrime, climate-related conflict and youth unemployment, arguing that national responses alone are inadequate. Sanyang said The Gambia has pursued security reforms since its 2017 democratic transition, including border management, digitalisation, community policing and legal changes.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, was represented by Maj. Gen. T.E. Gagariga, who drew on Nigeria’s counter-insurgency experience to emphasize intelligence gathering, community trust and cross-border security coordination. Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, represented by Commissioner of Police Baba Azare, outlined Nigerian police reforms focused on intelligence-led policing, training, welfare, human rights compliance and technology such as CCTV, forensic tools, drones and AI-supported crime analysis.

The report also says Gambian police chief Seedy Touray called for more practical coordination among African states. The broader message from the conference was that security threats crossing borders require stronger institutions, better information sharing and cooperation among national agencies, INTERPOL, AFRIPOL and regional bodies such as ECOWAS.