The United Nations (UN) yesterday raised the alarm that West Africa and the Sahel have overtaken the Middle East as the new hub of global terrorism. It said the region accounted for the highest fatalities and the most terrorised countries in 2024.
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The UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simão, disclosed this at the opening of the Regional Conference on Combating Emerging Terrorist Groups and Strengthening Sustainable Security in the ECOWAS Region and the Sahel, organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
He cited the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which stated: “West Africa and the Sahel accounted for most fatalities in 2024, an increase from the previous year.”
Noting that five of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are in Africa, Simão said Burkina Faso is now ranked as the most terrorised country in the world, displacing Pakistan, while terrorist groups in the Sahel have become more sophisticated.
“The global terrorism landscape is shifting at an alarming rate. Groups are forging alliances, expanding their reach, and employing advanced technologies such as drones, encrypted communications, and cyber tools to execute strikes with greater precision and heightened psychological impact,” he said.
He painted a grim picture of the human toll of insecurity, revealing that in 2024 alone, 1,364 children were recruited by armed groups across six countries.
He also noted that 466 cases of sexual violence were documented, and 14,364 schools were shut down due to insecurity, stressing that the figures represent stolen futures, fractured communities, and deepening fragility.
While acknowledging rising defence spending in the region, he cautioned that military action alone cannot end the crisis.
“The Central Sahel is projected to spend USD 3.2 billion on defence in 2025, diverting resources from education, health, and climate adaptation. We need a holistic approach, combining military interventions with political dialogue, improved social services, and sustainable development, paying particular attention to youth and women,” he said.
On regional efforts, he commended ECOWAS for its recent outreach to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
“The achievement in preserving the free movement of goods and people shows that dialogue can still prevail, even amid profound political and security crises,” he added.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, represented by Dr. Cyriaque Agnekethom, said the bloc was moving to operationalise a regional anti-terrorism force.
He stressed that beyond the military option, ECOWAS was committed to dismantling the supply chains of terrorist networks.
“Only a few days ago, our Ministers of Defence and Finance agreed on funding modalities for the ECOWAS Regional Force. Two options are on the table: a 5,000-man brigade with a first-year cost of $2.61 billion, or a phased 1,650-man force costing $481.5 million.
“We must intercept and cut off weapons and ammunition, fuel, illicit funds, drugs, and dual-use items like fertilisers and batteries used to fabricate IEDs,” he said.
Musah commended Nigeria’s leadership, as well as the UN and the AU, for efforts aimed at ensuring that ECOWAS citizens are protected from the menace and communities continue to thrive.
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