The Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has called on West African leaders to move beyond discussions and take decisive action to address rising security threats in the region.

Speaking at the Joint Ministerial Meeting of the High-Level Consultative Conference on Regional Cooperation and Security, she warned that threats such as violent extremism and terrorism were interconnected and easily crossed national borders.

She urged leaders in the sub-region to strengthen collaboration in the fight against regional insecurity.

“The challenges we face are increasingly interconnected and transnational. Violent extremism, terrorism, organised crime, cyber threats, and persistent youth unemployment do not respect borders, institutional mandates, or traditional policy silos,” she said.

“In this context, leadership requires more than responding to immediate pressures. It calls for foresight and coordination to ensure that security strategies, foreign policy, and development agendas reinforce one another rather than operate in isolation.”

The Vice President further highlighted the importance of identifying early warning signs of terrorism and other security threats to enable effective responses.

“Acting together and proactively helps us identify risks earlier, ease the burden on national systems, and maintain stability at a lower cost than responding after problems occur,” she said.

She emphasised that prevention was a practical necessity, noting that issues ranging from violent extremism and terrorism to organised crime and counter-terrorism cooperation required regional initiatives that prioritised implementation.

“The issues before us demand that regional initiatives be designed with implementation clearly in mind,” she added.