Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, signed the MOU on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.
The signing of the event consolidated the discussion held by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 45th Ordinary Session in July 2014, which adopted the framework for the establishment of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism in member states.
The system monitors issues on human security such as crime and criminality, security governance and human rights, health and environment.
Vice President Osinbajo said at the MoU signing event that the process came at the right time and would lead to the full implementation of early warning and response system.
“We are at a time, nationally and of course, sub-regionally, where the security threats that confront us are becoming more violent, asymmetric, spread faster ever than before and cross-border in their nature.
“So, there is no question that this is a moment that when we really should looking at how to collaborate in real time and increasingly more imaginative ways in sharing information and also in sharing competence in order to confront the security challenges that confront us.”
Osinbajo commended the ECOWAS and Nigeria for following the 1999 Protocols.
“We have made tremendous progress, especially with respect to peace-keeping, to ensuring that we are in a position to manage security threats and also to provide platforms for conflict resolution and conflict management.
“I think that is something we really need to commend ourselves about. I think also that the clear expansion of the Ecowas early warning and response network to include security indicators and terrorism indicators.
“That has helped us a great deal in not only focusing on terrorism, which today possibly the most lethal threat that we face, but also in giving us an opportunity to bring the best possible ideas and also to be able to check these threats.”
Assuring the ECOWAS of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to process, the vice president said Nigeria would ensure that the early warning and response systems was fully implemented.
Noting the specific request made by the ECOWAS president for the implementation of the MOU, Prof. Osinbajo said Nigeria would definitely ensure that the requests were processed.
“Just as you know, we are all very committed to ensuring that not only is ECOWAS able to fulfill its objectives because it’s is all in our interest but also because we also believe that the security and safety of the sub-region is security and safety of our own nationals as well.”
Kassi Brou said that the Regional Early Warning Mechanism was set up by the ECOWAS 1999 Protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peace-keeping and security.
He said the idea of the protocol was to support the region in anticipating, mitigating, in responding to challenge of human security, for regular collection of data, population analysis and timely reporting of information.
“In order to support member states in strengthening their capacity in implementing human security challenges, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in 2014 signed a Supplementary Act, adopting the policy framework on the establishment of the National Early Warning and Rapid Response Mechanism,” he said.
He said the implementation of the initiative started in 2016 with support of the US State Department for the establishment of five national centres in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Liberia.
Mr. Brou said that ECOWAS Commission has supported the establishment of the National Mechanism in Nigeria with funding from the European Union and the German government through the provision of information technology and communication tools, furniture and vehicles.
He said the implementation of the national centres in other member states is very advanced and have been scheduled for launching in September and October 2021.
Brou noted that there were four pending issues, which he said would make the national centre for early warning in Nigeria functional.
According to him, the issues are the signing of the Executive Order which will form the legal framework for the centre; the deployment of staff from relevant Nigerian ministries, department and agencies to the centre; the inauguration of the statutory board, which will provide oversight for the operation of the centre; and provision of suitable building to house the centre.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubair Dada said that a complete and effective early warning empowers individuals and communities threatened by others to act in a timely and appropriate manner to reduce the possibility of personal injury, loss of lives and property in case of terrorism and violent extremism.
