{
  "id": 10978776,
  "title": "Army chief seeks deeper regional defence partnerships",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/army-chief-seeks-deeper-regional-defence-partnerships-10978776",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T16:06:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/army-chief-seeks-deeper-regional-defence-partnerships/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for deeper regional security cooperation and stronger defence partnerships among Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states. Shaibu emphasized that the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of security threats, including terrorism, violent extremism, and transnational organised crime, requires greater collaboration among countries in the region. He urged military leaders across the region to develop practical strategies for confronting emerging threats through military-to-military cooperation, regular dialogue, intelligence sharing, joint training and exercises, and the continuous review and harmonisation of military doctrines. Brigadier General Sheik Massaquoi, the Chief of Staff of the ECOWAS Standby Force, expressed gratitude for the Nigerian Army's support and called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force into a more proactive, interoperable, and responsive regional security capability.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Army chief seeks deeper regional defence partnerships",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/army-chief-seeks-deeper-regional-defence-partnerships",
        "published": "2026-09-30T15:54:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}