Abidjan: Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, has urged ECOWAS member states to strengthen regional cooperation and coordinated financial security measures in response to growing cross-border threats.
According to Sierra Leone News Agency, speaking at the GIABA Plenary and Ministerial Committee session in Abidjan, Bangura warned that West Africa faces an increasingly complex security landscape defined by interconnected dangers such as terrorist expansion, maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, and rising cybercrime networks.
He said these challenges are no longer isolated national issues but shared regional crises that threaten economic growth, investor confidence, democratic governance, and long-term stability. Terrorism financing, piracy, illicit financial flows, and cyber-enabled fraud have become deeply linked, requiring unified action backed by intelligence-sharing and stronger financial oversight.
The Minister stressed the need to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks to prevent criminal groups from exploiting weak points in regional financial systems. He called on ECOWAS states to invest in modern security infrastructure, digital resilience, and coordinated maritime surveillance, while harmonizing legal and regulatory frameworks to combat cybercrime and illicit finance.
Observers described the address as a timely call for collective action, reflecting a growing policy consensus that economic development and regional security are inseparable. The GIABA plenary focused on anti-money laundering strategies, counter-terrorism financing, financial intelligence cooperation, and emerging security threats across West Africa.